Groundhog Day has arrived, with the spotlight focused on Punxsutawney Phil , the world’s most famous weather-predicting groundhog, as he awakens from his wintry sleep in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania , and looks for his shadow Sunday morning, Feb. 2.
Phil let us know whether we still have a long winter ahead of us or an early spring. (See the results below, which are being updated as they are confirmed.)
The same scene played out at the Staten Island Zoo in New York, where a furry groundhog named Staten Island Chuck was looking for his shadow Sunday morning. So is Milltown Mel in the tiny New Jersey borough of Milltown, Essex Ed at the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, and Stonewall Jackson V at the Space Farms Zoo & Museum in Wantage .
Other critters who will also try to predict the weather include Malverne Mel and Holtsville Hal , both based in the New York City suburb. of Long Island.
Milltown Mel II is pictured in this file photo from Groundhog Day Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
What happens if the groundhog sees his shadow? According to folklore, if Punxsutawney Phil or the other groundhogs see their shadow on Groundhog Day , we will have to endure six more weeks of winter. If they do not see their shadow, we will be treated to an early spring.
Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?
Punxsutawney Phil was scheduled to emerge from his burrow around 7: am at the annual Groundhog Day festival at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
Outcome: Punxy Phil emerged at 7: am with light snow falling, and did not see his shadow. He predicted an early spring, and the record-setting crowd in Punxsutawney cheered wildly. By the way, it appeared Phil tried to eat a few snowflakes when he was surveying the sky.
Live video steam: In case you want to watch Punx Phil live, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office will have a satellite feed to live-stream the Groundhog Day festivities, starting at 5: 56 am Sunday. Click here to see the live stream .
NOTE: As of 6: 44 am Sunday, the tourism website (VisitPA) appears to be down, so the live stream is not accessible at the moment. However, the tourism office says it is working on the issue. In case you can’t access the live stream, VisitPA is planning a Facebook Live video feed on its main Facebook page
, starting at 7 am Did Staten Island Chuck see his shadow?
At the annual Groundhog Day ceremony at the Staten Island Zoo on Sunday, Charles G. Hogg – better known as Staten Island Chuck – was scheduled to wake up from his winter nap just before 7: am to look for his shadow. The results will be posted here shortly afterward.
(Outcome: Chuck emerged at 7: 45 am and did not see his shadow. Early spring!
Live stream: If you want to watch Staten Island Chuck look for his shadow Sunday morning, a (live stream will be available here at our affiliate website silive.com
. Did Milltown Mel see his shadow?
Milltown Mel
was expected to emerge from his sleeping quarters around 7: 44 am Sunday at the American Legion Joyce Kilmer Post in Milltown in Middlesex County. Outcome:
Milltown Mel did not see his shadow, according to folks at the American Legion post. So – just like his furry friends in Pennsylvania and Staten Island – Mel is calling for an early spring.
Did Essex Ed see his shadow?
Essex Ed is scheduled to come out of his hibernation Sunday morning at the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange.
Outcome:
The results will be posted here when they become available .
Did Haddon Harry see his shadow?
Haddon Harry is New Jersey’s newest weather-predicting groundhog . But he’s not a rodent. He’s just a guy dressed in a groundhog costume. Harry was looking for his shadow on Saturday, one day before Groundhog Day.
(Outcome:
Harry did not see his shadow, signifying an early spring. And the crowd went wild, according to Kate Burns, a spokeswoman for Haddon Township. Did Malverne Mel see his shadow?
Malverne Mel is also making his weather prediction Sunday morning, at Crossroads Farm in Malvern, NY
Outcome: The results will be posted here later today.
Did Holtsville Hal see his shadow?
Holtsville Hal is another Long Island groundhog making his prediction Sun day, at the Brookhaven Wildlife and Ecology Center in Holtsville, NY
(Outcome:) The results will be posted here later today.
Len Melisurgo may be reached at [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter @ LensReality or like him on
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