Pennsylvania's "official state meteorologist" Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Sunday morning, predicting six more weeks of winter.

Sunday's joyous occasion was the 138th prognostication in Punxsutawney, located in Jefferson County. The festivities kicked off at 6 a.m. in a cold 20 degrees, and Phil made his appearance to the eager crowd at 7:22 a.m. It included singing, dancing, live music and fireworks to amp up the crowd ahead of Phil's prediction. 

Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pa., spoke early on during the annual festivities at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., rebuffing People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' (PETA) demands to replace the beloved animal with something vegan.

"There's some folks out there who said we should take this great tradition that stretches all the way back to the 1880s and get rid of Phil and replace him with a cake," Shapiro said in front of thousands of people. "If anybody comes for Phil, they're gonna have to go through me and all of you. Am I right?"

PENNSYLVANIA GOV REBUFFS PETA'S DEMANDS ON PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL: 'COME AND TAKE IT'

Shapiro added that last year he declared Phil the "official state meteorologist" and that the groundhog is "never wrong about the weather." He teased making Groundhog Day an official state holiday.

The governor has been on-hand for every Groundhog Day ceremony in Punxsutawney since taking office in 2023.

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PETA President Ingrid Newkirk told the New York Post that Phil is denied the traditional lifestyle of a groundhog "for a tired old gimmick."

While Groundhog Day is considered a national holiday and has even been popularized in the classic 1993 Bill Murray film of the same name, the day — and Phil himself — hold a special place in many Pennsylvanians' hearts.

The annual weather prediction ceremony is hosted by the Groundhog Club Inner Circle, a group of local dignitaries who care for Punxsutawney Phil and help arrange special festivities. 

Even though Punxsutawney Phil's weather prediction is the one people gather to see, the groundhog's prediction is made ahead of the big moment by the group on Gobbler's Knob, a location very close to Punxsutawney, just around 65 miles away from Pittsburgh.

In addition to the large ceremony in western PA, throughout the rest of the Commonwealth, many historically Pennsylvania German communities are home to a "Grundsau Lodsch" or Groundhog Lodge. 

Fox News' Carles Creitz and Ashlyn Messier contributed to this report.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro hit back at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on Friday, after the activist group sent a letter to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club promising to send them a vegan "weather reveal cake" if they agreed to stop pulling Punxsutawney Phil out of his burrow for his Feb. 2 prognostication.

"Come and take it," Shapiro tweeted in response to a New York Post story on PETA's demand.

Manuel Bonder, a spokesman for Shapiro, told Fox News Digital the governor stands by his comments and said he will again make the trip to Gobbler's Knob in Jefferson County on Sunday to witness Phil's 138th meteorological prediction.

Shapiro has been on-hand for every Groundhog Day ceremony in Punxsutawney since taking office in 2023.

PETA CALLS TO END GROUNDHOG DAY TRADITION, REPLACE PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL WITH CAKE

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk told the Post that Phil is denied the traditional lifestyle of a groundhog "for a tired old gimmick."

Visitors to Punxsutawney year-round can visit Phil and his "wife," Phyllis, at the borough library. On this reporter's last visit to the area, the rodents had recently become proud parents to a new baby groundhog, as well.

While Groundhog Day is considered a national holiday and has even been popularized in the classic 1993 Bill Murray film of the same name, the day — and Phil himself — hold a special place in many Pennsylvanians' hearts.

In addition to the large ceremony in western PA, throughout the rest of the Commonwealth, many historically Pennsylvania German communities are home to a "Grundsau Lodsch" or Groundhog Lodge. 

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Each lodge holds an annual banquet or "Versommling" in honor of their totem – Phil – with "Lodsch Nummer Ains an de Lechau" (Lodge #1 on the Lehigh River) in Allentown hosting theirs annually on the February 2 holiday itself since 1934.

Nineteen other lodges based around the state have held "Versommlinge" for decades, as well. 

However, three — "#2, Schibbach" in Montgomery County, "#3, Temple U." in Philadelphia County and "#5, Bind Bush" in Schuylkill County — have gone defunct in recent years as the Pennsylvania German language and culture see a decline in younger generations.

A March 2024 Versommling for "Lodge #18 an de Forelle Grick" (on Trout Creek) in Slatington featured local beer on tap, a traditional Pennsylvania German supper, stories and riddles from lodge elders told in the Pennsylvania German language, and, of course, representations of Phil himself.

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Until recently, it was the custom of groundhog lodges to forbid English-speaking in favor of "Pennsilfaanisch," lest the violator toss a nickel in a donation jar on their table.

Other states' groundhogs have been less lucky than Phil, as then-New York Mayor Bill de Blasio infamously dropped Staten Island Chuck during a 2014 ceremony in West New Brighton. Chuck later died from internal injuries after appearing to land on his head.

With the importance Groundhog Day and Phil himself hold to Pennsylvania past-and-present, Bonder said Shapiro will continue to defend the groundhog and his tradition, and will be on hand for future wintertime prognostications in Punxsutawney.

President-elect Trump's inauguration will now take place inside the U.S. Capitol due to cold weather forecast for Monday, the first indoor inauguration since President Ronald Reagan's second inauguration in January 1985. 

On that frigid January 20th 40 years ago, the air temperature was 7 degrees, with a windchill of -40. 

Monday's forecast is a high of 23 degrees and a low of 10, but brutal winds are expected to whip across the city, making the temperature feel more like single-digits. 

President Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated inside the Capitol in 1801, as was custom in the nation's early history. Organizers moved President James Monroe's inauguration outside, because the Capitol was so badly damaged after the War of 1812 when the British burned it, which kicked off the custom of swearing in a president outside in front of the National Mall. 

TRUMP SWEARING-IN TO MOVE INDOORS DUE TO COLD WEATHER

President John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961 had similar temperatures — a high of 26 and a low of 19. It was held outside, even after a storm dumped 8 inches of snow the previous day. 

"The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows," Trump posted on Truth Social, addressing the expected cold. 

"There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way. It is dangerous conditions for the tens of thousands of Law Enforcement, First Responders, Police K9s and even horses, and hundreds of thousands of supporters that will be outside for many hours on the 20th (In any event, if you decide to come, dress warmly!)."

Trump said D.C.'s Capital One Arena will be open Monday for live viewing of his inauguration "and to host the Presidential Parade." 

"I will join the crowd at Capital One, after my Swearing in," he wrote.

The swearing-in ceremony for President-elect Trump's inauguration will be moved inside because of cold temperatures forecast for Washington, D.C., Fox News has learned.

Trump announced Friday that he had ordered that his inaugural address and other ceremonial prayers and speeches be held in the United States Capitol Rotunda due to expected winter conditions. 

"The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows," Trump posted on Truth Social, addressing the expected cold. 

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"There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way. It is dangerous conditions for the tens of thousands of Law Enforcement, First Responders, Police K9s and even horses, and hundreds of thousands of supporters that will be outside for many hours on the 20th (In any event, if you decide to come, dress warmly!)."

Brutal cold and ferocious winds are expected for the D.C. region on Monday, with temperatures expected to fall to the upper 20s, FOX Weather reported.

With the wind chill, it will feel more like single digit temperatures. There is also a possibility of snow from a storm forecast on Sunday.

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Trump said the Capital One Arena will be open Monday for live viewing of his inauguration "and to host the Presidential Parade." 

"I will join the crowd at Capital One, after my Swearing in," Trump wrote. 

The three Inaugural Balls on Monday will proceed as scheduled. 

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The Inaugural Committee confirmed Trump's decision in a statement.

"The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies will honor the request of the President-elect and his Presidential Inaugural Committee to move the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies inside the U.S. Capitol to the Rotunda," a committee spokesperson said. 

The last time inauguration ceremonies were moved indoors was in January 1985, for President Ronald Reagan's second inauguration. Regan had taken the oath of office the day before at the White House, but public ceremonies the next day took place inside while the temperature was 7 degrees with a windchill of -40.

President Thomas Jefferson was also inaugurated inside the Capitol, as was the custom early in the republic's history. 

President James Monroe’s inauguration was moved outside because the Capitol was so badly damaged after the War of 1812 when the British burned the building. That started the outdoors custom.

Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report. 

Residents of Western North Carolina are confused about the Federal Emergency Management Agency's role in helping locals with disaster recovery after Hurricane Helene.

Locals are especially confused as FEMA plans to end temporary housing assistance for about 2,000 North Carolina residents on Saturday — during a snowstorm, when temperatures across the Appalachian Mountain region are expected to be below 20 degrees. 

The housing program was initially supposed to end on Friday, but FEMA pushed the deadline back to Saturday.

"I'm actually talking to several people that are losing the FEMA vouchers," Ryan McClymonds, founder of volunteer group Operation Boots on the Ground in WNC and Eastern Tennessee, told Fox News Digital on Friday. "They're terrified that they're going to have nowhere to stay for their families after today. But we did find out last night pretty late … that FEMA is extending it a whole whopping 24 hours."

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FEMA told Fox News Digital that its Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program is providing hotel rooms to thousands of Hurricane Helene survivors in WNC.

On Jan. 3, FEMA began notifying some families checked into hotel or motel rooms that they are no longer eligible for the program due to one of the following reasons: an inspection indicated their home is now habitable, they declined an inspection or FEMA has been unable to contact them to update their housing needs.

About 3,600 households will remain eligible to continue staying in hotel or motel rooms sponsored by FEMA past Saturday — up from the 2,100 eligible households reported by local news outlet WLOS on Thursday.

AMERICANS SPENDING THANKSGIVING IN TENTS AS HEAT, ELECTRICITY, FOOD STILL HARD TO FIND

Approximately 2,000 households will still be expected to move out of their hotel rooms on Saturday. Continued eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. When eligibility ends, FEMA notifies survivors approximately seven days prior to their checkout date.

The agency is also closing disaster recovery centers in the area until Monday — "due to winter weather."

"Biden and Mayorkas bankrupted FEMA to pay for illegal immigrant housing, and now American citizens who lost their homes in Hurricane Helene are essentially being told to screw," Trump spokeswoman and incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital. "This is unfair and arguably criminal. The good news is: President Trump will be back very soon to put Americans first again."

HURRICANE HELENE FORCES NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS TO SLEEP IN TENTS WHERE HOMES ONCE STOOD

FEMA said it has provided shelter to 13,000 families displaced by Helene since late September 2024, when the storm made landfall. There are currently 5,600 households currently checked into hotels, the agency told Fox News Digital.

"We got this notification on our phone, I think it was yesterday … which was the severe weather notification," Swannanoa-area resident Asha Wild told Fox News Digital. "We are told to expect power outages and possibly water outages. Yeah, I'm not thrilled about that. And in the cold."

Wild lost her house to nine feet of flooding when Helene destroyed areas of her hometown and dozens of others in the mountains, leaving 104 dead in North Carolina alone.

Power grids and other critical infrastructure are still very fragile in some areas after Helene, and residents are concerned that they could again be left without power, water, gas and even food. Volunteers in Western North Carolina and across the state have been volunteering in affected areas for months. Generous donors across the country have paid for and delivered campers to those who need housing and storage.

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Long lines of vehicles can be seen lining up to get propane and other necessities from various donation drives in the area. 

PUPPIES RESCUED FROM HURRICANE HELENE TO BE REHOMED WITH MILITARY MEMBERS, FIRST RESPONDERS

WATCH: Volunteers in North Carolina donate propane to those impacted by Helene

Zach Bumgarner, vice president of Bumgarner Oil, told Fox News Digital that his company has "given away 22,000 gallons of product since the storm hit." They have hosted six propane drives since late September, allowing people to bring empty propane cylinders to designated locations, where his company fills them up for free.

"You do have people in tents and you do have temporary shelters and that kind of thing. And then you throw really cold temperatures on top of it, and it does make for a dangerous situation," Bumgarner said. "So, hopefully what we're doing is helping kind of bridge some of those gaps a little bit and maybe keep somebody warm. That's really what we're trying to do."

HURRICANE HELENE: 'BACKBONE OF AMERICA' HELPING FARMERS ACROSS SOUTHEAST WHO LOST BILLIONS IN CROPS, LAND

WATCH: Drivers line up for propane

Wild said she asked her friend, who works at a local grocery store she's been going to for 18 years, how things were going.

"He said, ‘Yeah, people are kind of losing their minds.’ And I could tell it was cleaned out," Wild said.

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Steve Antle, a retired Asheville police officer who has been in contact with Fox News Digital since the day after Hurricane Helene destroyed parts of WNC, said some areas are recovering well while others remain "frozen in time." Even wealthy neighborhoods still have piles of debris and trees down, he said.

Antle has partnered with others in and outside his community to buy and deliver thousands of dollars worth of critical supplies across his hometown of Fairview and surrounding towns since immediately after the hurricane. 

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Some locals are still living in tents or campers, mostly because they do not want to leave their property. Others are still without heat and power, he said.

"I don't know what goes into their thinking," Antle said of the agency. "You know, I want to think that it's government incompetence because that's the better alternative. … And I hate to think that."

McClymonds, of Operation Boots on the Ground, became emotional when describing the people he has been helping since September.

"Don't forget about them," he said. "I saw a lot while I was in the military. And coming out here and seeing the lack of response and the lack of help is so heartbreaking. I've prayed with I don't know how many people. I've heard and held so many family members. They have lost a whole lot and work hand-in-hand with family members that have lost their loved ones due to the storm. And they're tired. And they need help."

FEMA said it is important for storm survivors to keep in touch with FEMA and provide regular status updates. Those who have questions regarding eligibility should contact the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362.