Michigan’s official groundhog Woody the Woodchuck made her prediction this morning, and she’s rarely wrong.
Bad news, warm weather lovers.
Michigan’s official groundhog, Woody the Woodchuck, has predicted six more weeks of winter.
Folks gathered Friday morning at the Howell Conference and Nature Center for Woody’s 20th Groundhog Day celebration.
According to the nature center’s annual tradition, if the groundhog comes out of a small burrow decorated to resemble a tree stump and stays out for 30 seconds, then it will be an early spring.
This year, Woody hid in her house. She didn’t come out at all.
Chances are her 20th prediction will be accurate. She’s been correct 15 times in 19 years.
Woody’s home is at the nature center, where she resides in the Wild Wonders Wildlife Park with other animals the center takes in that can’t be released back into the wild.
Newly-hired nature center CEO John Carlson showed up dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, shorts and faux-grass lei, braving cold temperatures to root for an early spring.
“I’m pro spring,” Carlson told the crowd.
Howell Nature Center Director Dana DeBenham was on team winter, bundled up in winter attire.
“Who likes to ski?” she asked the crowd.
Woody agreed with Pennsylvania groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, who saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter.
