Michigan groundhog’s prediction: 6 more weeks of winter

MARION TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) – Handlers of Woody the Woodchuck, billed as Michigan’s official groundhog, say she’s predicting six more weeks of winter. They say if she emerges from her house at the Howell Conference and Nature Center and stays out for 30 seconds or longer she is indicating an early spring; if she doesn’t come out or runs back into her house before the 30 seconds are up, she is forecasting six more weeks of winter. On Tuesday, which is Groundhog Day, she didn’t come out of her house during an event at the nature center in Livingston County’s Marion Township. Last year, Woody was recovering from a respiratory infection and sat out the annual event as another Michigan groundhog made the not-so-scientific forecast for how long winter might last.

The handlers of Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, say the furry rodent has failed to see his shadow, meaning he has “predicted” an early spring. Members of the top hat-wearing Inner Circle announced the “forecast” at sunrise, just before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. A German legend has it that if a furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last another six weeks. If not, spring comes early. In reality, Phil’s prediction is decided ahead of time by the group on Gobbler’s Knob, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Records going back to 1887 show Phil has now predicted more winter 102 times while forecasting an early spring just 18 times. There are no records for the remaining years. In New York, Staten Island Chuck agrees with Phil; an early spring is coming. The groundhog did not see his shadow as he emerged from his home at the Staten Island Zoo early Tuesday.