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Punxsutawney Phil Predicts an Early Spring

By
Tara John
Tara John
and
TIME
TIME
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By
Tara John
Tara John
and
TIME
TIME
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February 2, 2016, 8:23 AM ET
Punxsutawney Phil Makes Annual Forecast On Groundhog Day
PUNXSUTAWNEY, PA - FEBRUARY 2: Groundhog handler John Griffiths holds Punxsutawney Phil after he saw his shadow predicting 6 more weeks of winter during 128th annual Groundhog Day festivities on February 2, 2014 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Groundhog Day is a popular tradition in the United States and Canada. A smaller than usual crowd this year of less than 25,000 people spent a night of revelry awaiting the sunrise and the groundhog's exit from his winter den. If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his den. Early spring arrives if he does not see his shadow, causing Phil to remain above ground. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty ImagesPhotograph by Jeff Swensen — Getty Images

The world’s most famous groundhog did not see his shadow on Tuesday morning, divining that there will be warmer temperatures and an early spring.

Punxsutawney Phil made his 130th prediction during the annual Feb. 2 event that sees thousands of people gather by Gobbler’s Knob, a hill outside town in Punxsutawney, Pa.

According to analysis from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which tracks climate data in the U.S., Phil is not the most accurate meteorologist. The last time two times he successfully predicted the weather were in 2014 and in 1999.

During the Groundhog Day ceremony at sunrise, Phil is retrieved from his mock tree stump and held up by helpers in a top hat, who check to see whether his shadow is visible.

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