Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow, predicts 6 more weeks of winter

Punxsutawney Phil made his famous weather prediction Thursday morning, emerging from his burrow to see his shadow.

That means, according to Groundhog Day tradition, the U.S. will brave another six weeks of winter.

The groundhog, emerging from a sleep, squealed as he was pulled from his burrow about 7:15 a.m. He was hoisted into the air and placed on a stump before his official prognostication was made.

It was Phil's 131st prediction, an institution in the Western Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney that dates back to 1886. On Thursday morning, hundreds of people descended on Gobbler's Knob as a light snow fell to watch Phil be coaxed from his burrow.

Phil has had a spotty record over the past 30 years, predicting the weather correctly only about half the time. But last year, he nailed it when he didn't see his shadow. February and March were warmer than average, reports the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Time will tell whether Phil will be correct two years in a row. The Climate Prediction Center, anticipates a warmer February, while NOAA says the three coldest months of the year are December, January and February.

Phil sees his shadow much more often than he doesn't. Since the tradition began, he's seen his shadow more than 100 times and hasn't seen it 18 times. About a decade worth of predictions aren't available.

The lead-up to the announcement was raucous with singing and dancing in front of a cheering crowd. The tradition stems from Candlemas, an ancient European celebration midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.

Follow Sean Rossman on Twitter: @SeanRossman

Doyle Rice contributed to this article.