Groundhog Day Results Bring More Winter to Michigan

It’s Groundhog Day, a day when many Americans wait to see if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, indicating whether we will have six more weeks of winter or not. But here in Mid-Michigan, we have our own four-legged weather predictor, Woody the Woodchuck.

Punxsutawney Phil Predicts Six More Weeks of Winter

Earlier this morning in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Phil saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. The Associated Press reported the news from Gobbler’s Knob just after 7:30 this morning.

The crowd was cold but clearly in good spirits, holding signs that read “In Phil We Trust” and “Team No Shadow,” just to name a few.

Groundhog Day Festivities Begin in Howell

Meanwhile, festivities were also underway in Howell ahead of Woody the Woodchuck’s winter prediction.

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The event featured games with Team Spring and Team Winter facing off against each other, including a cookie race, a radish toss, and trivia. WILX streamed the event live, with a replay also available to watch.

Woody the Woodchuck Does Things Differently

Phil has been making predictions since the late 1800s, while Woody began forecasting in 1999. Unlike Phil, who bases his prediction on whether he sees his shadow, Woody does things a little differently. She stands on the ceremonial stump at the Howell Nature Center, and if she stays there for 30 seconds or more, it signals an early spring.

Woody currently boasts a 63 percent accuracy rate, compared to Phil’s roughly 50-50 record, giving Mid-Michigan residents even more reason to trust their local groundhog.

The Groundhog Day Predictions Are In

And the prediction is in. In the last few seconds of the countdown, Woody retreated indicating 6 more weeks of winter. So this year, both Woody the Woodchuck and Punxsutawney Phil agree that we have a long road to the end of this brutal winter.

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