In a colourful annual ritual of dubious accuracy, the US groundhog Punxsutawney Phil has emerged from his burrow and saw his shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of winter.
The Pennsylvania rodent is the most famous of the furry weather forecasters for "Groundhog Day," an event with early roots in German folklore - and rather more in US media showbiz.
According to legend, if Phil had not seen his shadow on Sunday then spring would soon be on its way, bringing relief to a nation that has survived an especially harsh winter.
But instead, the groundhog purportedly announced: "That's not a football lying beside me,/ It's my shadow you see/ So, six more weeks of winter it shall be!"
The proclamation, posted on the website groundhog.org, referred to Sunday's other big event - the Super Bowl - held in New Jersey this year, for the first time in an outdoor arena.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
The groundhog said he could not predict whether the Denver Broncos or the Seattle Seahawks would win the National Football League championship game.
Groundhog Day falls on February 2 each year, attracting large crowds to the little Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney.
It started with a German tradition in which farmers closely monitored the animal's behaviour to make decisions about when their fields should be planted.
The town, which claims to have held its first Groundhog Day in the 1800s, is the undisputed headquarters for the unscientific experiment.
The groundhog, or rather his long line of ancestors and look-alikes bearing the same name, is a national media star and was at the centre of the 1993 Bill Murray comedy Groundhog Day.
Last year, Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring.
