Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- The groundhog called Phil emerged from his burrow this morning in central Pennsylvania and didn't see his shadow, which according to legend signals there will be an early spring.

Phil's handlers removed him from his stump-shaped shelter on a stage in Punxsutawney at 7:28 a.m. local time. They then said Phil didn't see his shadow. The forecast elicited cheers from the crowd gathered to await the 121st annual weather prediction.

Punxsutawney Phil had seen his shadow every year since 1999 before today. He and his predecessors have seen their shadows 96 times, or about 80 percent of the time, since 1887, according to the Groundhog Club, which conducts the annual event atop Gobbler's Knob. Only 15 times has the Punxsutawney groundhog not seen his shadow, while another nine results weren't recorded, the club said.

If he sees his shadow, there'll be six more weeks of winter weather, and if he doesn't, there will be an early spring, according to superstition.

Central Pennsylvania's earliest settlers were Germans, who said that if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2, the Christian holiday of Candlemas, unpleasant weather is on its way, according to the official Groundhog Web site.

Punxsutawney is about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh, and has a population of 6,800, with another 10,500 living in surrounding townships, according to the Punxsutawney Area Chamber of Commerce Web site. Attendance at the annual event has grown since the 1993 movie ``Groundhog Day,'' a romantic comedy starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell.

To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Hart in Washington at dahart@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: February 2, 2007 07:43 EST