When Is Groundhog Day?
Groundhog Day 2027 is on Tuesday, February 2 — in 89 days. It is on February 2 every year; in 2028 it falls on a Wednesday.
Updated · By the YearlyCalendar.org team
Groundhog Day is a February 2 folk tradition: if the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, six more weeks of winter are forecast; if he does not, an early spring. It is not a public holiday.
February 2027 calendar
Groundhog Day is marked on Tuesday, February 2, 2027, along with the other US federal holidays and observances of the month.
- Federal holiday / day off
- Observance
- Weekend
February 2027 – Groundhog Day 2027
| Wk | SundaySun | MondayMon | TuesdayTue | WednesdayWed | ThursdayThu | FridayFri | SaturdaySat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | 2Groundhog Day | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6Lunar New Year | |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) | 10Ash Wednesday | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 7 | 14Valentine's Day | 15Presidents' Day | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 8 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 8 | 28 |
Groundhog Day dates 2020–2040
Groundhog Day falls on a weekend in 5 of these 21 years.
Origins
The custom grew out of Candlemas, the Christian feast on February 2, and German weather lore: the Library of Congress traces it to a “Badger Day” that Pennsylvania German settlers transferred to the groundhog.
The Punxsutawney Spirit reported a Groundhog Day observance in 1886. On February 2, 1887, a group of local groundhog hunters made the first trek to Gobbler's Knob outside Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania — the event counted as the first official Groundhog Day. The paper's city editor, Clymer Freas, promoted it and dubbed the group the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, whose Inner Circle runs the ceremony today.
The ceremony
Around sunrise on February 2 the Inner Circle, in top hats, brings Phil out at Gobbler's Knob and announces whether he saw his shadow. The 1993 film Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray, made the event famous; it was filmed mainly in Woodstock, Illinois.
How accurate is Phil?
NOAA compared Phil's forecasts with US temperatures in February and March for 2006–2025 and found him right 35% of the time. His recent calls:
| Year | Phil | Forecast |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Saw his shadow | Six more weeks of winter |
| 2025 | Saw his shadow | Six more weeks of winter |
| 2024 | No shadow | Early spring |
| 2023 | Saw his shadow | Six more weeks of winter |
| 2022 | Saw his shadow | Six more weeks of winter |
| 2021 | Saw his shadow | Six more weeks of winter |
| 2020 | No shadow | Early spring |
| 2019 | No shadow | Early spring |
| 2018 | Saw his shadow | Six more weeks of winter |
| 2017 | Saw his shadow | Six more weeks of winter |
| 2016 | No shadow | Early spring |
Six more weeks?
Astronomical spring begins at the March equinox. In 2027 it arrives on March 20 — 46 days, or about six and a half weeks, after Groundhog Day, whatever Phil sees.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
When is Groundhog Day 2028?
Groundhog Day 2028 is on Wednesday, February 2, 2028.
What time is the Groundhog Day prediction?
Around sunrise, usually at about 7:25 AM Eastern Time, at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
How does Phil compare with other forecasting groundhogs?
Poorly: in NOAA's grading for 2006–2025, Punxsutawney Phil ranked 17th of the 19 groundhogs and other animal forecasters it compared.