by Claire Marcellini (’26) | March 10, 2023

Art by Megan Wang (’25)

Every February 2, the faithful enthusiasts of groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, also known as the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, gather around a particular Pennsylvania hole to see if Phil will emerge. According to legend, if Phil sees his shadow, he will retreat back into his burrow and there will be an extended winter. If not, then spring weather is around the corner. But is this yearly tradition grounded in fact?

The beginning of February falls roughly between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, serving as a noteworthy time for many cultures. Among the Celtic people, the start of February is the time for Imbolc, a tradition to observe and await the birth of spring animals and the planting of crops. During the Middle Ages, many believed that animals—namely the badger and the bear—paused their hibernation on February 2 to check for a prolonged winter or premature spring. If it was a bright day and the creature saw its shadow, then there would be six weeks of chilly weather left. However, if the animal saw no reflection, then the blooming season would be around the corner. German immigrants brought this lore to Pennsylvania, where the groundhog became a cultural icon associated with the imminent spring.

Since the 1880s, records from Punxsutawney Groundhog Club display Phil’s interesting record; he has predicted 107 extended winters and a peculiar prognosis of 20 early springs as of 2023. Results from the Stormfox Almanac revealed that Phil has a 39% accuracy rate. Last year, Phil saw his shadow, indicating a continued winter. However, NOAA experts said that the woodchuck missed the mark, and that March temperatures were warmer than average. So in reality, Punxsutawney Phil is not a reliable source for the upcoming forecasts. 

However, this poor accuracy rate is not entirely Phil’s fault, as the idea of spring coming early is a highly subjective concept. Scientifically, the spring equinox is the dawn of spring, when the sun crosses the plane of the equator and both the northern and southern hemispheres experience approximately equal amounts of daylight and darkness. If the northern hemisphere reaches the end of its winter, the southern hemisphere approaches the winter period with shorter hours each day. 

While he may be the most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil is not the only groundhog prognosticator in America. Milltown Mel from New Jersey pursued a career in phenology (the study of season changes) as well, though he unexpectedly passed shortly before 2022’s Groundhog Day. New York is home to three prognosticators: Dunkirk Dave, Buckeye Chuck, and Staten Island Chuck. It’s safe to say that nearly every state has a beloved predictor of their own. Though the myth of Groundhog Day may not be factual, it is still exciting to see the prophecies of these groundhogs.