01/30/2026
Groundhog Day falls on Monday, February 2! Will Punxsutawney Phil (Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, and Weather Prognosticator Extraordinary) see his shadow? ☀️🦫👤
According to lore, if it’s a clear or sunny day, the groundhog will see its shadow and return to its underground home. This means six more weeks of bad wintry weather.
The plump prognosticator will not see his shadow if it’s a cloudy or snowy day. This means early spring weather is right around the corner.
It seems a little counterintuitive, but in winter, clear skies often lead to colder temperatures. (There’s no cloud cover to trap the Sun’s heat close to the Earth’s surface.) Think of the shadow as a metaphor for the “strength” of winter. Of course, modern meteorology doesn’t use shadows to predict the weather, but it’s fun to hold onto some of those old traditions! See what we predict for THIS year at Almanac.com/Groundhog-Day 👀
