A groundhog from the small town of Punxsutawney in the state of Pennsylvania again predicted that North America would have six more weeks of winter .
On Thursday , thousands of people gathered around a hill called Gobbler's Knob to watch the yearly event .
A group of men in black coats and top hats woke up the groundhog from his long winter sleep .
It was as if the groundhog , named Punxsutawney Phil , told them , “I see a shadow…It's six more weeks of winter weather .”
Since 1887 , tradition says that if Punxsutawney Phil does not see his shadow on Groundhog Day , February 2 , spring will come early .
Groundhog Day is believed to have come from the ancient European tradition of Candlemas Day .
On that day clergy would bless and give out candles to Christians for the long winter .
As Germans migrated to what is now the state of Pennsylvania , they chose another animal , and Groundhog Day was born .
The tradition is celebrated in many places around the United States and Canada .
Countdown to Groundhog Day keeps a list showing 157 such celebrations in North America .
But the animals do not always agree — and not all of them are groundhogs .
Staten Island Chuck , a groundhog once known for biting the finger of then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg , predicted it would be an early spring .
In the state of Connecticut , Beardsley Bart , a prairie dog in Bridgeport , also predicted it would be an early spring this year .
But Scramble the Duck , Jr . said it would be a long winter in nearby Eastford .
In the state of Ohio , Benny the Bass , a fish , ate a minnow - or a small fish - soon after its release .
The Buckeye Lake Region Chamber of Commerce Winterfest said it means there will be an early spring .
Tad and Lil , two frogs from Snohomish in the state of Washington , agreed that spring would come early on their own “Groundfrog Day ” celebration .
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration compared Punxsutawney Phil's forecast in the past 10 years to the actual weather .
The agency found that “on average , Phil has gotten it right 40 percent of the time .”
Still , Phil remains the most famous weather predictor thanks to the movie Groundhog Day .
In 1993 , actor Bill Murray played a weather reporter in the film .
The reporter finds himself stuck in time and wakes up on the same day , over and over again , while visiting Punxsutawney .
The movie popularized the usage of “Groundhog Day ” to mean something is happening again and again .