This morning, patrons at the Howell Nature Center braved the cold and falling snow as they waited for Woody the Woodchuck, Michigan’s official groundhog, to emerge and predict whether spring would arrive early or winter would linger.
Around 8:30 a.m., Woody’s door opened and her fuzzy head appeared to cheers from the crowd. Her keeper led a countdown from 30 along with onlookers. But as the final seconds ticked away, Woody spotted her shadow and retreated back into her house.
The message was clear: six more weeks of winter.
Woody wasn’t alone in that prediction. Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous groundhog from Pennsylvania, also saw his shadow this year and forecast a longer winter.
Not all groundhogs agreed. Ohio’s Buckeye Chuck predicted an early spring, as did Wisconsin’s Jimmy the Groundhog.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration considers Staten Island Chuck of New York to be the most accurate groundhog. This year, he sided with Woody and Punxsutawney Phil, calling for six more weeks of winter.