Feb. 1—The revelers are set to return Thursday morning to Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, where that furry rodent will once again let us know what kind of weather is in store for the next several weeks.

Last year's celebration marked the resumption of the in-person event after the previous year's virtual celebration due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

And this year, Punxsutawney Phil is coming off his Wednesday induction into the Meteorologist Hall of Fame by the Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center's Board of Directors.

The center announced that Phil will be its final inductee.

"His forecasts have inspired songs, poetry, cinema, and more," the center said on its website. "Each year on February 2, thousands of faithful followers gather in the Pennsylvania dawn, eagerly anticipating his forecast. The seer of seers, prognosticator of all prognosticators, Punxsutawney Phil is the 2023— and final—Hall of Fame inductee."

In the hall of fame, the center notes, Phil will be joining the likes of Dr. Louis Uccellini, the former director of the National Weather Service and former assistant administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Dr. Joel Myers, the founder of AccuWeather; and Weather Channel meteorologist Jen Carfagno.

So Thursday morning at about 7:20 members of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club will wake up Phil from his burrow.

If Phil spots his shadow, we are to expect another six weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow, spring is said to be not that far off. For the record, last year Phil called for another six weeks of winter.

The history

According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club website, the Christian observance of Candlemas Day is most commonly associated with the modern celebration.

On Feb. 2, Christians took candles to the church to be blessed, believing this would bring blessings to their homes for the rest of winter.

At some point, the club says, weather came into the picture, as this English folk song highlights:

"If Candlemas be fair and bright,

Come, Winter, have another flight;

If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,

Go Winter, and come not again."

When this tradition took root in Germany, the Germans introduced animals into the lore, the club says.

The Germans believed there would be six more weeks of bad weather if the hedgehog saw his shadow on Candlemas Day.

The tradition traveled with the Germans as they settled in these parts. But there weren't any hedgehogs in the U.S., so the Germans picked the groundhog as a substitute.

First celebration

In Punxsutawney, the first time Groundhog Day appeared in the local newspaper was 1886.

And the first official gathering at Gobbler's Knob came the following year, the club says.

How to watch

Starting at 6 a.m., you can watch the festivities on PCN on TV or its website, pcntv.com/groundhog-day.

Live streaming is also available at the Visit PA website, visitpa.com/live-stream-phils-prediction.