On the second of February Punxsutawney Phil had his say after not seeing his shadow.

First thing Saturday morning those in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, gathered around to see if their beloved groundcaster would predict six more weeks of winter, or if spring would come soon.

For those who don’t know who Punxsutawney Phil is, you might know him as the groundhog weather forecaster.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Groundhog Day is a celebration that occurs at the midway point of the winter solstice and spring equinox.

At its early emergence, our now groundhog was once a hedgehog. It began in Germany during Candlemas Day where a clergy would bless and distribute candles that were needed for winter. To add on to this festivity of theirs, they used a hedgehog to predict the weather.

Once Germans reached Pennsylvania through the years of 1725 and 1775, they kept their traditions but adapted a new animal to determine their weather: A groundhog.

In February 1886 the first groundhog day was recorded and throughout time other places across North America have adapted their own hibernating weather forecasters.

In Staten Island, New York City, they have groundhog Staten Island Chuck — formally known as Charles G. Hoggs. Then, In the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama they have Birmingham Bill as well as Birmingham Jill: an opossum. Another groundhog that also makes predictions would be Shubenacadie Sam from Canada.

This year around, Birmingham Jill who took Birmingham Bill’s place while he snoozed predicted that winter would stick around for another six weeks. Meanwhile Pennsylvania’s groundhog: Punxsutawney Phil, predicted that spring would be soon to come.

Although the groundhogs weather predictions are usually more wrong than right, it still gives me the tiniest shred of hope that soon enough I will no longer have to worry about how cold it’ll be or how much I should bundle up.

Whether spring comes around soon, or we have another six weeks of bad, dreadful weather. It’ll be nothing we haven’t experienced before.