Groundhog predicts a long winter

US: Punxsutawney Phil has spoken, and the news isn't good.

US: Punxsutawney Phil has spoken, and the news isn't good.

The United States' most famous furry forecaster saw his shadow on Gobbler's Knob, suggesting another six weeks of wintry weather there.

The chubby groundhog delivered the prediction after he was pulled from his burrow in an oak stump in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, yesterday by a top-hatted handler, and his prediction was greeted by boos from the thousands who had gathered for what has become a winter tradition.

"He's only the messenger!" one of the members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club - the volunteer group in charge of Phil and the town's Groundhog Day festivities - reminded the crowd braving the frigid weather.

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The tradition stems from the Christian holiday of Candlemas, and the belief that if a hibernating animal sees its shadow, winter will last another six weeks.

If there's no shadow, spring will come early.

Whether Phil sees his shadow is beside the point, however. Organisers of the event say Groundhog Day is all about the fun - and a chance to shake winter's chilly cloak.