Groundhog Day 2025: 7 facts about Punxsutawney Phil and his predictions

STATETEN ISLAND The renowned Seer of Seers and Prognosticator of All Prognosticators, N.Y. Punxsutawney Phil, is preparing for another appearance on Groundhog Day.

America’s ally After Staten Island, Phil is the most well-known weather-predicting groundhog in the game. Chuck, of course.

Here are some interesting facts about Phil and his Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania-based Groundhog Club, as February 2 approaches.

Punxsutawney At Pennsylvania’s annual Groundhog Day celebration, Phil notices his shadow (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

1. Phil speaks a special language

Every year on February 2, Punxsutawney Phil gives his weather forecast in a special language called Groundhogese as he comes out of his burrow at Gobbler’s Knob in Western Pennsylvania. This language is only understood by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club president. The president translates the decree for everyone to hear after Phil asks if he has seen his shadow.

2. How old is Phil?

Members of the Groundhog Club claim that since 1887, there has only been one Phil and that he has been making predictions. In 2025, he will be 138 years old.

3. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club

A group of groundhog hunters established the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club in 1887. The editor of the Punxsutawney newspaper was one of the participants, and he openly asserted that Punxsutawney Phil was the only real weather-predicting groundhog.

4. The iInner Circle

A group of luminaries known as the Inner Circle is in charge of executing the customs and celebrations of Groundhog Day. Throughout the year, they are also in charge of Punxsutawney Phil’s care.

5. Famous faces

Over the years, Phil has gained national attention and met some extremely well-known people.

• 
  Phil traveled to Washington, D.C., in 1986 to meet with President Ronald Reagan.
  
• 
  He met Pennsylvania Gov. Dick Thornburg in 1987.
  
• 
  Phil and the town of Punxsutawney were portrayed in the 1993 film Groundhog Day.
  
  (It was really filmed in Woodstock, Ill.)
  
  
• 
  Phil appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1995.
  
  (He did not get a car.)
  
  
• 
  In 2001, Phil s prediction was shown live on the Jumbotron in Times Square.
  

6. Phil s prediction

Although the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club claims that Phil is always right, the StormFax Weather Almanac shows that over 135 years, Phil’s overall accuracy percentage is 39%.

According to earlier data, Phil was only 13 times correct throughout the 29-year period between 1988 and 2017. In certain years, though, Phil’s forecasts were given a mixed mark because of below-average February temperatures followed by above-average March temperatures.

Phil made 107 predictions for long winters between 1887 and 2024, but only 21 for early springtime. There were ten years during that period when Phil’s forecast was not recorded.

Whether Phil sees his shadow is the basis for the forecasts’ scientific basis. Winter will last six more weeks if the groundhog notices his shadow. The groundhog will experience an early spring if he fails to notice his shadow.

7. The first prediction

On February 2, 1887, Phil spotted his shadow and made his first known prediction: six more weeks of winter.