Punxsutawney Phil stopped by the station this morning to let staff know whether he saw his shadow. The verdict, posted on the station’s Facebook page marking Groundhog Day, read, “Six more winters. Probably.”
Punxsutawney Phil is the best-known figure in the long-running Groundhog Day tradition, in which a groundhog’s emergence on Feb. 2 is folklore for forecasting the remainder of winter. In the customary telling, if the animal sees its shadow, it presages more time with winter weather; if it does not, an earlier spring is expected.
The ritual draws lighthearted attention each year from local communities and the media. While the tradition is an enduring part of American folklore and community celebration, meteorologists and scientists generally do not regard the groundhog prediction as a reliable method of weather forecasting.
The station’s social post included hashtags such as #GroundhogDay2026 and #Bucees. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
