FOX Weather takes a look at the chances of Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow when he emerges from his burrow in Pennsylvania on Groundhog Day on Sunday.
Every year on Feb. 2, Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog tries to predict the end of winter.
As tradition goes, if Phil sees his shadow, the U.S. has six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, we’re in store for early spring.
But Punxsutawney Phil isn’t the only animal used to predict the end of winter weather. States all over the country have their own Groundhog Day mascots.
WILL PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL SEE HIS SHADOW SUNDAY ON GROUNDHOG DAY?
Milwaukee County Zoo Nigerian Dwarf Goats
Nigerian Dwarf Goats at Milwaukee County Zoo will predict the end of winter this year.
(Milwaukee County Zoo)
In Milwaukee, goats will be the ones forecasting the end of winter. This is the first year the Milwaukee County Zoo‘s Nigerian Dwarf Goats have the honor of the prediction.
Much like the groundhog, if the goats see their shadow, Milwaukee can expect six more weeks of winter. If they don’t, early spring is on the way.
The zoo’s Humboldt penguins had the duty of weather-predicting in 2024, but they are nesting this year and adjusting to life in their new habitat at the zoo, the zoo said.
Nigerian Dwarf goats are known for their small stature. They’re native to West Africa, the zoo said.
Brevard, North Carolina’s Pisgah Piper
In Brevard, North Carolina, Pisgah Piper the white squirrel makes her Groundhog Day debut this year. Her predecessor, Pisgah Penny, died in 2024. Piper is Penny’s niece and is blind, according to the White Squirrel Institute.
Pisgah Piper
(White Squirrel Institute)
Feb. 2 is also known as White Squirrel Day in Brevard. Piper will also shoot her shot at predicting this year’s Super Bowl winner.
“With a 57% accuracy rate from our previous White Squirrel Ambassadors, I look forward to Pisgah Piper’s predictions,” White Squirrel Day Master of Ceremonies Don Debiase said.
New York’s Clucks-atawney Henrietta
Clucks-atawney Henrietta, the weather-predicting chicken.
(Westchester County Parks/Muscoot Farm / FOX Weather)
Clucks-atawney Henrietta lives on Muscoot Farm in Katonah, New York. Unlike Phil and other Groundhog day animals, Henrietta determines the end of winter through egg-laying.
If Henrietta lays an egg during the farm’s Groundhog Day ceremony, it’s the signal for early spring for New Yorkers. If no egg is laid, Henrietta says they’ll have a late winter.
Connecticut’s Scramble the Duck
2019 Groundhog Day ceremony in Eastford, Connecticut.
(Paul Torcellini)
Back for the 10th year, Scramble the Duck will once again make his winter forecast prediction at the Ivy Glenn Memorial in Eastford, Connecticut.
Fans of Scramble also celebrate Feb. 2 as Duck Day, according to Scramble’s website. Much like Punxsutawney Phil, if Scramble sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.
Scramble’s owners say he is the most accurate animal at predicting winter’s end, with a 100% success rate.
Florida’s Athene the Burrowing Owl
Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife’s Athene the Owl, the Ground Owl Day mascot.
(Pascha/Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife)
Cape Coral, Florida will celebrate its seventh annual Ground Owl Day on Feb. 2, honoring the city’s official bird, the Burrowing Owl.
If Athene the owl doesn’t see her shadow, it means an early spring for Floridians. The event aims to highlight the beauty and importance of local wildlife, according to Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife, who is hosting the event.
LAUDERHILL, FLORIDA – JUNE 14: A Burrowing Owl is seen on the pitch prior to the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024 match between USA and Ireland at Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium on June 14, 2024 in Lauderhill, Florida.
(Matt Roberts-ICC/ICC )
Burrowing owls are one of the smallest owls found in Florida, and they often live in prairies and open, treeless areas, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Oregon Zoo’s Stumptown Fil the Beaver
Filbert the beaver chews through a tree limb in his habitat in the Great Northwest.
(Courtesy of Oregon Zoo / photo by Ali Azevedo)
Oregonians look to Filbert the Beaver to tell them when to expect the end of winter.
Affectionately known as Stumptown Fil, his home is in the Oregon Zoo.
“We love groundhogs, but they aren’t native to the Pacific Northwest, and they don’t create wetlands,” said Christina Parr, a keeper in the zoo’s North America section. “Here in Oregon, we’re beaver believers.”
Filbert at work at the Oregon Zoo.
(Courtesy of Oregon Zoo / video still frame by Michael Durham)
2025 will be Stumptown Fil’s fifth year forecasting the end of winter, the zoo said. “Last year, Filbert predicted an early spring, and we didn’t get any snow the rest of the season,” Parr said. “He may not be a professional, but he’s right about half the time!”
Beavers have made a comeback in Oregon after decades of decline from hunting and trapping in the 19th century, the zoo said. Now, they are listed as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.