Six more frigid weeks of winter are in store, according to revered groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, who emerged from his tree stump early this morning only to spot his pudgy shadow. Groundhog Day festivities began as early as 3 a.m., with a crowd convening at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. A fireworks display followed at 6:30 a.m.
The 124-year-old tradition was merged with the wonders of new media this year. Online viewers logged on to VisitPA.com - Pennsylvania's official tourism website - for a live webcast of the morning's events leading up to the critical moment. Facebook and Twitter were also laden with groundhog-related content and realtime updates.
Interestingly, German folklore originally spoke of a badger or hedgehog as a trusted meteorological predictor. Pennsylvania had other ideas, instituting the groundhog tradition back in 1887.
Meanwhile, the animal rights advocacy group PETA is calling for Phil's immediate retirement, demanding that he be replaced by a robotic groundhog, instead.
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