Did the groundhog see his shadow? Results of Punxsutawney Phil predictions in 2024, beyond

Anthony DiMattia, Delaware News Journal
·2 min read

Punxsutawney Phil has been at this for a while.

It's been nearly 140 years since the prognosticating groundhog has been making weather predictions from a small Pennsylvania borough some 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

This year, Phil made the rare prediction of an early spring.

How often does this happen? See the past results here:

History of Groundhog Day: Phil's predictions of years past

Phil's first official shadow sighting came in 1887, followed by several years of no official recordings.

The first front page coverage came in 1908, when Phil saw his shadow. In 1913, John Frampton was the first to grab a photo for the newspaper of Phil spotting his shadow.

Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, as vice president Dan McGinley reads the scroll during the 138th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. Phil's handlers said that the groundhog has forecast an early spring.
Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, as vice president Dan McGinley reads the scroll during the 138th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. Phil's handlers said that the groundhog has forecast an early spring.

His longest stretch of seeing his shadow is 21 years, which came between 1913 and 1933. His longest streak of not seeing his shadow — two years between 2019 and 2020.

The only time he did not make an appearance came in 1943 during the middle of World War II.

He has seen his shadow the most, as he has predicted a longer winter 107 (77%) times before the 2024 prediction. Here's are all of his results since 1887:

  • Saw shadow (six more weeks of winter): 107

  • No shadow (early spring): 30

  • Partial shadow: 1

  • No record: 10

  • Did not appear: 1

Groundhog Day shadow meaning: What if the groundhog sees his shadow?

The annual event has its origin in a German legend about a furry rodent. It roots back to Candlemas Day in Europe with the Christian "festival of lights" that falls on Feb. 2, midway between the start and end of winter.

Tradition says Phil seeing his shadow is a sign that the next six weeks will bring wintry weather.

If Phil doesn't see his shadow, it means an early spring.

Groundhog Day isn't scientific (in fact, Punxsutawney Phil's weather predictions are wrong most of the time).

If we're being honest, it even defies common sense.

The legend is simple: The groundhog's shadow on Feb. 2 predicts the weather for the next six weeks, until the start of spring.

A sunny day means the groundhog will see his shadow — this is taken as a sign that the next six weeks will bring wintry weather. A cloudy day means the opposite.

Groundhog Day 2024 prediction: See if Punxsutawney Phil says more winter or early spring

When is Groundhog Day?: As Groundhog Day 2024 approaches, don't forget about this famous Delaware groundhog: Chunk

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Groundhog Day results: Did the Punxsutawany groundhog see his shadow?