Did it see its shadow? Feb 2, 2021

Did it see its shadow?

For many people, the last year has been a bit like the movie "Groundhog Day," with every day feeling the same. But today actually is Groundhog Day. This marmot in Austria popped up to see…a rainbow? We"re not sure what that means for the weather forecast, but it feels like a good sign. (The groundhog is a type of North American marmot.) In the US, the tradition says that if the groundhog sees its shadow, six more weeks of winter are in store. If it doesn"t, then we"re looking at an early spring. There"s no science behind it; the custom has its roots in Pennsylvania Dutch culture and was popularized by the Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper in Pennsylvania in 1887—and again by the Bill Murray movie in 1993.

© SeppFriedhuber/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Feb 2, 2018Alpine marmots at Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria
Feb 2, 2019Groundhog Day arrives—beyond a shadow of a doubt
Feb 2, 2020Hut, hut, hike!
Feb 2, 2022Groundhog Day
Feb 2, 2023Groundhog Day
Feb 2, 2024Groundhog Day
Feb 2, 2025Groundhog Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 30, 2021Behold the perfect cone
Mar 20, 2019Hello, spring!
Feb 18, 2023Eben Ice Caves, Upper Peninsula, Michigan
Sep 10, 2023Grandparents Day
Oct 6, 2023Taughannock Falls State Park
Jan 26, 2022India Republic Day
May 9, 2018Longtailed widowbird at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa
Aug 18, 2018Is that a buzzing sound?
Dec 10, 2023Sand dunes in the Sahara, Algeria
Jul 3, 2022Dog days of summer
Mar 27, 2018Macro photograph of a migrant hawker dragonfly
May 6, 2024The Roaches ridge in the Peak District, England
Jan 13, 2020Welcome to California
Nov 23, 2020Autumn comes to Old Town
Jan 13, 2018Fire-damaged forest near Wolf Creek Pass, Colorado
Feb 7, 2023Village of Labro, Italy
Dec 15, 2020A bridge that rocks
Jun 27, 2022Lavender fields on the Valensole Plateau in Provence, France
Apr 17, 2019Happy birthday to the Peak!
Dec 29, 2020Where the glow of the holidays lingers
Aug 14, 2025Cable car station, Graubünden, Switzerland
May 30, 2023Playa del Amor, Marietas Islands, Mexico
Nov 15, 2024Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Jun 8, 2019Diving into World Oceans Day
Oct 20, 2024International Sloth Day
Jan 26, 2026Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
Mar 7, 2022Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
Jun 23, 2023Pollinator Week
Feb 7, 2022Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, Canada
Apr 22, 202050 years of Earth Day