00:56 Groundhog Day 2018: Punxsutawney Phil Says Winter To Linger Punxsutawney Phil emerges from his burrow on Groundhog Day and predicts that winter will linger six more weeks.

At a Glance Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Friday morning, which forecasts another six weeks of winter.

The prognostication came on a 13-degree morning with snow flurries in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

The groundhog's accuracy rate is far lower than actual meteorologists.

With Groundhog Day festivities well underway in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the groundhog known as Phil saw his shadow Friday morning, which, according to legend, means another six weeks of winter.

The crowd cheered energetically as the furry rodent emerged from his burrow just before 7:30 a.m. EST Friday morning amid 13-degree temperatures and a few snow flurries. The prognostication was delivered in a proclamation "written" by Phil.

"Up early this morning. Far from home. Are you searching for the Phil-osopher's stone? Well, even my best friends, they don't know. Is it an early spring or just more snow? My faithful followers, your hands – and my paws – are getting cold, so here is my forecast. Not lead, but solid gold: I see my royal shadow! Six more weeks of winter to go!"

The Feb. 2 event dates back to 1887, and in records that have been kept for all but 10 years, the groundhog has seen his shadow 103 times. He has only forecast an early spring in 18 years, according to the records.

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Another famous groundhog in the North, Staten Island Chuck, did not agree with Phil's forecast. Chuck didn't see his shadow Friday morning and predicted an early spring.

In Jackson, Georgia, the groundhog known as General Beauregard Lee saw his shadow and forecast six more weeks of cold weather.

The annual ritual came with much fanfare, but in reality, Phil's success rate isn't spectacular. The event has long been a thorn in the side of meteorologists, who practice actual science with far greater success.

NOAA has said Punxsutawney Phil has "no predictive skill ," and has tracked the rodent's wins and losses for decades.

The 20-pound groundhog's predictions have been accurate 39 percent of the time since the first Groundhog Day in 1887, according to StormFax.com. Phil has done slightly better in recent years, getting the forecast right 46 percent of the time since 1988.

But still, even in his most successful decades, it's essentially a coin flip, whereas most weather forecasts are accurate 80 percent of the time or more .

Punxsutawney, home to some 6,000 residents, is located about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.