Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow on Groundhog Day 2009; six more weeks of winter (VIDEO)

Phil the famous groundhog is held aloft in the most
undignified manner. (Kaster/AP)

No, Phil, say it ain't so! Early this morning, the famous groundhog poked his head out of his burrow at Gobbler's Knob and upon seeing his shadow, darted back inside.

Legend dictates that this signifies six more weeks of winter. (Had Phil not seen his shadow, that would have meant we were in for an early spring.) 

Crowds gathered at Gobbler's Knob, located 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, groaned upon hearing the news.  

And as he looked, 'a bright sky above me showed my shadow beside me. So six more weeks of winter it will be.' Oh, woe is us. Woe is us!'

--Groundhog Day 2009

Closeup of Punxxutawney Phil. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)

How many times has Punxsutawney Phil been right? His official website, Groundhog.org, claims that Phil's been right 100% of the time.

The website also claims:

Punxsutawney Phil is the only true weather forecasting groundhog. The others are just impostors.

There has only been one Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making predictions for over 120 years!

Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the "elixir of life," a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life.

--Groundhog.org

The tradition of Groundhog Day dates back to Pennsylvania's earliest European settlers, who brought with them the tradition of Candlemas, which states, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May..."

According to the Washington Post, animals, such as Punxsutawney Phil, aren't very good at predicting the weather and have been right less than half the time. 

The yearly celebration at Gobbler's Knob was the scene of the classic 1993 comedy, "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray. 

Watch the video of this year's festivities: