The Bottom Line: February 2nd is Groundhog Day!
The Full Story:
February 2nd is Groundhog Day! People have been celebrating Groundhog Day (or some form of it) for centuries. According to folklore, if the groundhog emerges from hibernation and does not see his shadow, he will leave his burrow. This signifies that the end of winter is near. On the other hand, if the groundhog does see his shadow, he will retreat back into his burrow and winter will continue for at least another six weeks.
Groundhog Day is deeply rooted in ancient weather lore as the day is one of the four “cross-quarter” days (the midpoints between solstices and equinoxes). Also known as Imbolc or Candlemas, this date exactly halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
So how much longer is winter going to last? Only Punxsutawney Phil (or one of the other prognosticating animals across the country) knows the answer to that question! As for Phil, he has been making predictions since 1887. If the groundhog does not see his shadow today, we will have an early spring.