Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow this year?

There will be some clouds around Saturday morning.

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – It's that time of year, when a rodent in Pennsylvania takes on the role of a long-range forecaster. For those that aren't familiar with the tradition, let's break it down for you.

If Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow, then spring will arrive early. 

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Phil has seen his shadow 104 times since 1887. 

There will be some clouds around the area in Pennsylvania come Saturday morning, but it would have to be completely overcast for the ol' rodent to not see his shadow. 

Whether or not he sees it, he's going to be quite chilly. Temperatures will only be in the single digits first thing Saturday morning in the town of Punxsutawney.

Here at home, a different rodent will pop out of a hole. Chief Meteorologist Jeff Haniewich will likely see his shadow Saturday morning, which will mean six more week of winter for us!

Even though we've been pretty void of any big snows since early December, it's important to remember that one-third of our annual snow typically comes in the month of February. 

We'll be warmer this coming week, but don't sleep on winter just yet. We've got some time left. 


About the Author:

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.