Punxsutawney Phil Predicts Six More Weeks Of Winter

February 2, 2022

Brittney Melton, AP, Nicole Madden,

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Punxsutawney Phil catches some sun in Phil's Burrow inside Punxsutawney Memorial Library, the day before Groundhog Day in downtown Punxsutawney, Pa., Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022. (Mark Pynes/The Patriot-News via AP)
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Tony and Anne Disorbo, of Connecticut, check out Gobbler's Knob the day before Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pa., Tuesday, Feb 1, 2022. (Mark Pynes/The Patriot-News via AP)
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Ashley Johnson of Dallas watches entertainment while waiting for Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, to come out and make his prediction during the 136th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. Johnson traveled from Texas to Punxsutawney with members of her book club. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. — There will be six more weeks of winter.

That’s the prediction made Wednesday by Punxsutawney Phil after he emerged from his burrow in Pennsylvania to perform his Groundhog Day duties.

Thousands of people gathered at Gobbler’s Knob as members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” summoned him from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he’d seen his shadow.

After Phil’s prediction was announced, the crowd repeatedly chanted “six more weeks!”

According to folklore, spring would come early if he didn’t see it.

Phil is not the greatest forecaster with a 40% accuracy in the last 10 years for Charlotte. Since 1887, Phil’s forecasts have been correct 40.8% of the time if he were predicting just for Charlotte. Phil forecasted an early spring or 6 more weeks of winter for all but 10 of the last 135 years. He’s predicted 6 more weeks of winter 104 times (now 105 with the latest prediction this year). While predicting an early spring just 21 times.

Queen Charlotte, Charlotte’s very own groundhog has held up a little better over the last 10 years with her forecast. She’s been correct 7 out of the last 10.

Both Phil and Charlotte missed last year’s forecast predicting 6 more weeks of spring. Although February 2021 was cold with an average temperature of 44.1, March was much warmer than average with a mean temperature of 55.9.