Groundhog Day 2024: Woodstock Willie weighs in on fate of winter

WOODSTOCK, Ill. - Woodstock Willie brought delight to thousands of people gathering Friday morning in the north suburb to celebrate Groundhog Day.

In Woodstock, where Bill Murray filmed the 1993 motion picture, "Groundhog Day," Woodstock Willie did not see his shadow, aligning with the prognostication of the country's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil: We're having an early spring.

Woodstock Willie has given his prognostication about 25 times, 14 times he predicted an early spring, 10 times he saw his shadow and one time went unrecorded. The rodential meteorologist boasts an accuracy rate of around 40 percent.

Thousands also descended on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to watch Phil make his annual weather prediction at dawn with the help of his "inner circle" — a group of local dignitaries who are responsible for planning the events, as well as feeding and caring for Phil himself.