Groundhog Day 2025: Early spring or 6 more weeks? What did General Lee, Punxsutawney Phil see?

Two of America's favorite groundhogs have emerged once again to make a meteorological prediction for the start of spring.

For yet another year, General Beauregard "Beau" Lee from Jackson, Georgia, and Punxsutawney Phil from Gobblers Knob, Pennsylvania, agree.

(Credit: FOX 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alex Forbes)

Groundhog Day 2025: What did General Beauregard Lee predict?

Six more weeks of winter weather.

Groundhog Day 2025: What did Punxsutawney Phil predict?

Through "Groundhog-ese," Phil also let his handlers know he predicted six more weeks of wintry weather.

Groundhog Day history

Big picture view:

Groundhog Day traces its roots to ancient Celtic traditions, where Imbolc marked the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Early Christians celebrated Candlemas around the same time, and German immigrants brought the custom of weather-forecasting animals to America, swapping European hedgehogs and badgers for the native groundhog.

Members of Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, organized in 1899, care for Phil at a customized space beside Punxsutawney Memorial Library — where there’s a window with a view into the creature’s burrow.

Georgia has its own groundhog who specializes in making weather predictions. General Beauregard "Beau" Lee will make his prediction as sunrise as well from his home at "Weathering Heights" at the Dauset Trails Nature Center in Jackson.

Which groundhog is more accurate?

By the numbers:

According to a 2022 study by FiveThirtyEight.com, Beau boasts a 63% accuracy rate for predictions from 2012 to 2021, outshining Phil’s 45.5%. The Dauset Trails Nature Center claims Beau’s accuracy is even higher, somewhere in the 90% range.

About 79% of the time, Phil sees his shadow, indicating more winter. However, Phil’s winter prognostications have only been right about 39% of the time, according to the Stormfax Almanac.

Last year, both Phil and Beau predicted an early spring.