US EditionHow Accurate Are Punxsutawney Phil's Groundhog Day Predictions? Here's How He Ranks in 2026
- On Monday, Punxsutawney Phil will issue his annual long-term forecast at a sunrise ceremony at Gobbler's Knob, where tens of thousands will watch him emerge from his tree-stump hatch.
- Rooted in older seasonal observances, the tradition traces to Pennsylvanians of German descent and ties into the Celtic calendar and Candlemas, with its national profile boosted by the 1993 Bill Murray film and becoming a marketing juggernaut.
- Rules of the ritual hold that when Phil sees his shadow, it signals six more weeks of winter, while not seeing it means an early spring; his top-hatted handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club interpret his winks, purrs, chatters and nods.
- Michael Venos, 46-year-old database administrator from Roxbury, New Jersey, has cataloged more than 300 prognosticators since the 1880s; last year alone there were more than 100 predictions including from armadillo, ostriches, and Nigerian dwarf goats.
- Observers travel about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, split between believers and doubters, while organizers emphasize the event is mostly harmless early-morning fun with an alcohol ban at the site.
60 Articles
60 Articles
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This year Groundhog Day 2026 holds a significant importance as much of the United States is experiencing harsh winter in the form of severe snow storms. Given the intensity and protracted nature of...
Here's The Brutal Truth About Groundhog Day
Here’s The Brutal Truth About Groundhog Day Here’s the thing you need to understand about groundhogs, folks: They’re not meteorologists. They don’t know jack squat about the weather. Want proof? Data from the National Centers for Environmental Information found that since 1969, “Punxsutawney Phil” has only maintained a 35% accuracy rating for his annual “Early Spring or Extended Weather” prediction. 35%! That means he’s wrong 65% of the time! Ho…
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Punxsutawney readies for Groundhog Day amid winter chill
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – As much of the country grapples with harsh winter weather, attention turns to Punxsutawney for Groundhog Day on February 2. The annual event has been held at Gobbler's Knob since 1887.
Weather keeps repeating itself ahead of Groundhog Day
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - You may have stepped outside to get a feel for the weather and gotten confused on what day of the week it was, until you ultimately realized it's Sunday, and you're heading back to work Monday. There's nothing I can do about the inevitable return to your 9-to-5, but I can tell you that these weather trends are about as consistent as they can get, which may have led to the confusion on what day it was. After temperatures esca…
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Bias Distribution
- 74% of the sources are Center
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