Countdown to
Groundhog Day
If Phil sees his shadow, brace for six more weeks of winter.
Today is Groundhog Day.
92 days until Groundhog Day, on Tuesday, February 2, 2027.
Groundhog Day is Tuesday, February 2, 2027. Happens every February 2.
Groundhog Day is the lighthearted midwinter tradition in which a groundhog is said to forecast the weather. Each February 2, crowds gather in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to see whether Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous of the forecasting groundhogs, spots his shadow. If he does, folklore says winter will drag on for six more weeks; if he doesn’t, spring is on the way. It is equal parts weather superstition, small-town pageantry, and pop-culture touchstone.
An old tradition in a new animal
The custom’s roots run back to Candlemas, a Christian feast on February 2 marking the midpoint of winter, when clear skies were said to foretell a longer cold season. Germans added a twist, watching a hibernating animal — a hedgehog — for the same omen. When German-speaking settlers, the Pennsylvania Dutch, brought the tradition to America, they adopted the groundhog, which was abundant in Pennsylvania. The first formal Groundhog Day was staged at Gobbler’s Knob outside Punxsutawney on February 2, 1887, promoted by a local newspaper editor and a club of groundhog enthusiasts who crowned Phil “the seer of seers.”
How we get this date. Groundhog Day is a fixed-date holiday, observed every year on February 2 regardless of the weekday. That date is no coincidence: February 2 is a cross-quarter day, falling roughly halfway between the December solstice and the March equinox — the astronomical middle of winter — which is why so many “will winter end early?” traditions cluster around it.
A dubious but beloved forecaster
As meteorology, Groundhog Day is not to be trusted: studies of Phil’s long record put his accuracy near 39%, no better than chance. That has done nothing to dim the celebration. Tens of thousands make the pre-dawn trek to Gobbler’s Knob, and rival groundhogs — Canada’s Wiarton Willie, Georgia’s General Beauregard Lee, New York’s Staten Island Chuck — offer competing forecasts. The 1993 comedy “Groundhog Day,” in which Bill Murray’s character is trapped reliving February 2 over and over, turned the holiday’s name into shorthand for monotonous repetition.
🦫 Fun facts about Groundhog Day
- The first official Groundhog Day was held at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on February 2, 1887.
- The tradition traces back to Candlemas and a German custom of watching an animal — originally a hedgehog — for signs of spring; Pennsylvania Dutch settlers switched to the plentiful groundhog.
- If Phil sees his shadow it means six more weeks of winter; no shadow means an early spring.
- Phil's forecasts have proven correct only around 39% of the time — worse than a coin flip.
- The 1993 film "Groundhog Day," in which Bill Murray relives the holiday endlessly, made the day a byword for repetition.
Upcoming Groundhog Day dates
| Date | Days away |
|---|---|
| 92 days | |
| 457 days | |
| 823 days | |
| 1,188 days | |
| 1,553 days |
How people mark Groundhog Day
- The dawn ceremony at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney
- Watching for the groundhog's shadow
- Regional rivals like Canada's Wiarton Willie and Georgia's General Beauregard Lee
- Groundhog Day festivals and breakfasts
- Rewatching the 1993 film
Frequently asked
When is Groundhog Day?
Groundhog Day is always February 2; the countdown above shows which weekday it falls on next.
How is the date calculated?
It is a fixed-date holiday, held every year on February 2 — a cross-quarter day roughly halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox — no matter which weekday it lands on.
What happens if the groundhog sees its shadow?
By tradition, if Punxsutawney Phil emerges and sees his shadow, winter will last six more weeks; if he sees no shadow, spring will come early.
How accurate is Punxsutawney Phil?
Not very. Analyses of Phil's record put his accuracy at roughly 39%, meaning a coin toss would do about as well.