This morning, on February 2nd, Punxsutawney Phil announced there would be six more weeks of winter after seeing his shadow.

According to the Gobbler’s Knob, members of his “inner circle” retrieved Phil from his tree trunk abode. The “inner circle” consists of a group that serves Phil year round and prepares him for his annual prediction day. 

Punxsutawney Groundhog Club claims that the immortal Phil stays healthy by drinking a magical “elixir of life” that keeps him alive for 7 years per sip.

The members of the “inner circle” speak to the groundhog in Groundhogese and speak in a Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. The “inner circle” created this club and has attracted a crowd of thousands to this official groundhog event.

Originating from the small town itself, Punxsutawney Phil’s official name is Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary.

This holiday comes from the old superstition that if the groundhog sees its shadow, winter will continue for six more weeks. If the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow, spring will arrive early. Many claim that the first celebration of Groundhog day took place on February 2nd of 1887, when citizens of Punxsutawney visited Phil’s home (a.k.a. Gobbler’s Knob).

According to NOAA, Punxsutawney Phil has only had a 25% accuracy rate since 1990. However, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club claims that Phil’s predictions have never been wrong. This year, weather forecasts agree with Phil’s prediction, considering there’s a massive snow storm brewing in the south. 

Throughout history, we’ve seen Punxsutawney Phil’s weather prophet powers in action. Is it the magical elixir he drinks? Is it the tree trunk he’s put in? Or perhaps the groundhogese language he speaks? The possibilities are endless, but there is one fact that remains true; He is the leader of the inner circle, the weather prophet overlord. Punxsutawney Phil never dies even though the lifespan for a groundhog is 3 years. There is no doubt the great groundhog posesses some sort of gift that should be celebrated.