What is Groundhog Day?

Groundhog Day occurs on February 2nd when Punxsutawney Phil (the groundhog) comes out of hibernation. Although there are other famous groundhogs, many people follow Pennsylvania’s Phil. After coming out of hibernation, observers check to see if the groundhog casts a shadow behind him.

The theory holds that if the groundhog does not see his shadow, spring is on the way. If the groundhog sees his shadow, winter will be prolonged for 6 more weeks. 

The groundhog has seen his shadow 106 times and has not seen his shadow 18 times thus far. 

How accurate is it?

Even though groundhog day has been a staple of American and Canadian history, it is largely inaccurate. Testing measures the groundhog’s accuracy to be around 35-41%. This means that even if the groundhog predicts winter to last 6 more weeks, there is still hope for spring to come sooner!

What can we expect this year?

Avid followers of Phil, the Seer of Seers, hope for a no-shadow year. However, it is much more likely for Phil to see his shadow and to crawl back to hibernation for another 6 weeks. Many will keep their eyes open for February 2nd 2022 to relieve their anticipation.