The celebrated groundhog known as Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his Pennsylvania burrow on Friday (February 2) and failed to see his shadow, a sign that the warmer temperatures of spring will arrive early in North America, according to folklore, Reuters reports.
Thousands of revelers gathered at dawn in Punxsutawney, a small town northeast of Pittsburgh, to celebrate Groundhog Day and watch Phil make his way out of his tree stump to offer his annual weather forecast.
According to legend, if the rodent sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, frigid and blustery weather will persist for six weeks. If it is cloudy and no shadow appears, the onset of spring is near.
