Photos show Groundhog Day celebration as Punxsutawney Phil makes his prediction

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, meaning the prognosticating groundhog thinks there will be six more weeks of winter, much to the disappointment of the large crowd that gathered to watch him on Monday morning. 

Thousands braved the single-digit temperatures at Gobbler's Knob to wait for Phil's annual prediction. 

During the celebration, Phil is pulled from his burrow by a man in a tuxedo and tophat and lifted into the air for all to see. Phil communicates his prediction in "Groundhogese" to the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. A scroll is then selected, and Phil's message is read to the crowd. 

According to legend, if Phil sees his shadow, he interprets it as six more weeks of bad weather and he returns to his hole. If he doesn't see his shadow, he believes it's a sign of spring and he stays above ground. 

Groundhog Day has ties to the Christian religious holiday of Candlemas, which became tied to weather prognostication through a folk song. The Germans added an animal to the tradition, and when they came to the United States, they picked the hibernating groundhog as their animal forecaster.  

Below are photos from this year's Groundhog Day celebration at Gobbler's Knob.