By Asher Notheis | Colorado Springs Gazette
Get ready for warmer weather! Punxsutawney Phil made his annual appearance on Groundhog Day and predicted that the United States will not see another six weeks of winter.
Thousands gathered at Gobbler’s Knob, located in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, early Friday morning to see if the iconic groundhog would see his shadow. This year’s ceremony marked the 138th Groundhog Day celebration.
Groundhog Day consists of Punxsutawney Phil making a public appearance at Gobbler’s Knob, during which it is predicted that a longer winter can be expected if Phil sees his shadow. Traditionally, Phil will not see his shadow if the weather is cloudy, thus blocking the sun and preventing shadows being created from it.
The history of the holiday goes all the way back to 1887, with the groundhog predicting an extended weather over 100 times since the holiday’s inception, including last year. In February last year, Punxsutawney Phil’s name was inducted as the final member of the Weather Discovery Center’s Meteorologist Hall of Fame.