Thousands gathered at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, to witness the groundhog's weather forecast on Saturday. /VCG Photo

Punxsutawney Phil, the weather-prognosticating rodent, did not see his shadow, which means he predicted an "early spring." /VCG Photo

According to the tradition, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, he predicts there will be six more weeks of winter-like weather. /VCG Photo

The annual ceremony was initially celebrated in Canada and the U.S., and gained international fame thanks to the 1993 movie "Groundhog Day". /VCG Photo

While the festival remains popular, studies have found that there is no correlation between a groundhog and when the change in season will happen. /VCG Photo