GROUNDHOG DAY: The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, the caretakers of the Legend of Punxsutawney Phil, have announced that there will be no in-person attendance to Groundhog Day due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, Punxsutawney Phil will make his prognostication virtually at Groundhog.org at approximately 7:25 a.m.

In light of this decision, the Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center will NOT hold an induction into the Meteorologist Hall of Fame in 2021.

Those who wish to see Phil work his magic should be up and at the computer at 7 a.m.

At that time, the Groundhog Club will begin the annual trek to Gobblers Knob for Punxsutawney Phil’s prognostication of the length of winter!

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PHIL FACTS: Punxsutawney Phil has been in charge of telling us how long winter will wear on (and, conversely, when spring will finally bloom) since 1887, all based on whether or not he sees his shadow on the morning of Feb. 2 (if he sees his shadow, we’re in for six more weeks of winter, if he doesn’t, spring will come early). That is a decent lifespan.

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle currently has 15 members (16 if you count Phil himself), including President Bill Deeley, who has been in the circle since 1986.

The members all have individual nicknames that vaguely tie into their careers (Tom Dunkel, the so-called “Shingle Shaker,” is a roofing contractor) or weather phenomena (there’s an “Iceman,” a “Big Chill,” and even a “Thunder Conductor”).

When Phil is not busy predicting the weather at Gobbler’s Knob, he lives in the town library with his wife, Phyllis.

Phil speaks a special language, known as Groundhogese. This language is the communication method he uses to communicate with the Inner Circle President, who then announces it to the world.