What Did Punxsutawney Phil Predict?

It's Groundhog Day, which means you may find yourself in an endless time loop until you learn how to laugh and love again. Or, because we're not all Bill Murray, it's the day you watch an adorable groundhog get spooked by its own shadow and unknowingly predict the end of the winter. On Monday morning, world's most famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil came out of hibernation to predict the weather — and his forecast is not really the one residents of the Northeast and Midwest were looking for.

As the Northeast braces for a new winter storm on Monday, which could dump another foot of snow in parts of the region, Punxsutawney Phil decided not to let us off easily. Despite overcast skies, the four-legged prognosticator saw his shadow on Monday in his hometown of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, telling us that we can expect another six long weeks of winter. Thanks, Phil. Really.

The furry creature's handlers, known as the Inner Circle, announced the prognosis during Monday morning's live TV broadcast, saying:

Yes, a shadow I see. You can start to Twitter. Hashtag: Six more weeks of winter.

Reportedly stemming from Pennsylvania German folklore, Groundhog Day has been celebrated in America for well over 100 years. The Inner Circle holds the annual forecasting event every Feb. 2 at Gobbler's Knob, just outside of Punxsutawney. Although the actual forecast lasts for only a few seconds, the event attracts thousands of visitors to the area to get a glimpse of the personable groundhog and what the future holds.

In case you missed Phil's prediction Monday morning, here's a recording of his legendary weather forecast...

Images: Getty Images