The timing for the end to this interminable winter depends on which woodchuck you choose to believe.
In Punxsutawney, Pa., rock-star rodent Punxsutawney Phil took one look at his own silhouette under the rising sun on Gobbler’s Knob early Monday morning and basically said, “Nope, bundle up for six more weeks.”
However, Buckeye Chuck, Ohio’s semi-official weather-whispering marmot, begged to differ.
Chuck popped out of his burrow at the Marion County Fairgrounds Coliseum around 7:40 a.m. and promptly ignored the winter vibes.
No shadow in sight on this cloudy Feb. 2, 2026. Translation: Pack away the snow shovels early, folks — spring is crashing the party ahead of schedule.
So choose the woodchuck you wanna believe — but be advised the National Weather Service office in Cleveland is predicting a few inches of snow in north central Ohio on Friday with a low temperature around zero.
In Punxsutawney, Phil continued his recent negative and pessimistic view on winter.
The iconic marmot’s handlers read his annual scroll — the one that always seems to lean pessimistic — confirming the extended cold snap. Boos erupted from the bundled-up spectators like they’d just heard the ref call a bad holding penalty on their beloved Pittsburgh Steelers.
Phil, who’s been at this gig since 1887 (or at least his lineage has), stuck to his usual script. Last year he called for six more weeks, too. Since 2000 he’s seen his shadow and doubled down on winter about 20 times.
Early spring? That’s the rare unicorn in his forecast history — he’s only gone that route a handful of times in the modern era.
Accuracy? Let’s just say his batting average hovers somewhere around coin flip with a furry bias toward misery.
Meanwhile, back in Ohio, local hero Buckeye Chuck was living his best life — no shadow spotted in Marion, early spring declared, crowds cheering like the Buckeyes just scored a touchdown in the snow.
Ohioans wasted no time rubbing it in: “Phil who? Our Chuck’s got 75% accuracy and a sunnier disposition.”
Buckeye Chuck, who has been doing this since 1979, is generally considered more accurate than Punxsutawney Phil. Estimates place his accuracy around 55% to 75%. He has successfully predicted an early spring in six of his last 10 appearances. Experts put Phil around 35 percent accurate.
The tradition, rooted in old Candlemas customs where clear skies meant winter lingers and clouds promised relief, continues to deliver comedy gold — even if the weather itself refuses to cooperate.
So bundle up, America: Phil says six more weeks of winter. But hey, at least in Ohio, one groundhog’s betting on flip-flops soon.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for Punxsutawney’s groundhog to agree.
In Punxsutawney, Pa., the groundhog known as Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his cozy burrow on Gobbler’s Knob and saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter.
As they do every year, tens of thousands of people gathered in Punxsutawney, where temperatures were about 1 degree above zero, for the prognosticating marmot’s long-term forecast.
Phil purportedly picked one of two scrolls confirming the extended winter prognostication.
It works like this: If the sun is shining and Phil sees his shadow, he takes that as “an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole,” according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. If it’s cloudy and Phil doesn’t see his shadow, he will stay above ground, signifying there will be an early spring.
Last year, Phil also predicted six more weeks of winter, which is typically his assessment: Since 2000, he’s seen his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter 20 times.
Boos rang out from the crowd on Monday after the announcement of more winter was made.
Usually, after Phil makes his prediction, guests can pose for photos onstage with the groundhog. But Phil’s handlers said it was so cold that they were afraid to keep him out too long.
Why wouldn’t sunshine indicate an early spring?
Groundhog Day is rooted in an ancient European Christian celebration known as Candlemas (Feb. 2), which occurs halfway through winter and spring.
It commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple of Jerusalem as a light to the people of Israel. Christians traditionally take their candles to church to be blessed and used for the rest of the year.