Groundhog Day 2020 is Sunday, Feb. 2. That means by the time the Super Bowl kicks off that evening, we will know if Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and if we’ll get an early spring or six more weeks of winter.
While not a public holiday, the Groundhog Day observance means a weekend of events in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, leading up to the big moment at Gobbler’s Knob just outside the town early Sunday.
There is a Groundhog Ball, a 4-mile run, an induction ceremony of the meteorologist hall of fame and a showing of the “Groundhog Day” movie starring Bill Murray, according to the official schedule from the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.
The borough of about 5,500 people 60 miles northeast of Pittsburgh gets 30,000 visitors for the event every year.
How to watch Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day
If you can’t trek to Punxsutawney but want to see Phil’s prediction as it happens, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office has you covered. They will have a satellite feed and live stream for Groundhog Day starting at 5:45 a.m.
You can see the live stream at http://visitpa.com/groundhog-day-live-stream/.
Thousands of people are expected in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on Groundhog Day, where festivities begin at 3 a.m. Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com
What time does Punxsutawney Phil come out?
Punxsutawney Phil always comes out around 7:20 a.m. on Feb. 2. When he emerges from his stump he looks for his shadow, then has a conversation in Groundhogese with the president of the Inner Circle of the Groundhog Club who announces Phil’s prognostication, often in rhyme.
What happens if the groundhog sees his shadow? What happens if he doesn’t?
According to tradition, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow on Groundhog Day it means six more weeks of winter. If the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow, it means an early spring.
The forecast for Punxsutawney calls for clouds and possible snow showers on Sunday.
Meteorologists at AccuWeather, trying to beat the groundhog to the punch, say winter will likely hang on in the Northeast into April, with more snow and colder conditions through early March than we have seen yet this season – despite springlike temperatures early next week.
Punxsutawney Phil, the weather-predicting groundhog, is the star of the show every Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.ASSOCIATED PRESS
Is Groundhog Day always February 2? Who came up with Groundhog Day?
Groundhog Day falls on the same date every year and has its roots in an early Christian holiday called Candlemas Day, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Meant as a blessing to help households through the remaining winter, the day evolved into one of weather forecasting as folks including Germans who settled in Pennsylvania looked to hibernating animals as a sign of what was to come.
The club says the term Groundhog Day first appeared in a local newspaper in 1886. As the groundhog club says, the holiday has become “a day to take everything a little less seriously, and break up the winter monotony ... at least for a little while.”
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.