The season's fate rests on the shoulders of one famous rodent: Punxsutawney Phil. Every year, the country anxiously awaits the return of the beloved Pennsylvania groundhog, who, legend has it, will determine whether we should bundle up for six more weeks of winter or prepare for an early spring.
Groundhog Day, in the United States and Canada, day (February 2) on which the emergence of the groundhog (woodchuck) from its burrow is said to foretell the weather for the following six weeks.
If the groundhog sees his shadow, the story goes, he will return to hibernation and cold weather will persist another few weeks. If not, warm weather is around the corner.