HOWELL, MI — In the past 18 years, Michigan’s own Woody the woodchuck has predicted weather patterns properly a whopping 14 times.
That means it might be wise to plan for six more weeks of winter, after Woody made her 2017 prediction on Thursday, Feb. 2, also known as Groundhog Day.
«She was definitely not coming out at all,» said Dana DeBenham, wildlife coordinator for the Howell Nature Center, which is home to the annual Groundhog Day weather prediction.
The early February tradition in Howell works like this: Woody gets placed inside her «home,» a hollowed-out tree stump. If she doesn’t exit the stump, it is said that she has spotted her shadow and winter will continue.
That’s exactly what happened this year.
«She never even poked her nose out,» DeBenham said.
This year, Woody is on the same page as famous Pennsylvania groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, who also say his shadow Thursday morning.
If you are wondering what the difference is between a groundhog and a woodchuck, like Woody, it’s really just a different name for the same critter.
In addition to serving as the center of attention each Groundhog Day, Woody the woodchuck is one of the animal ambassadors for the Howell Nature Center, which also operates a teaching zoo. That means Woody is regularly out and about in the Howell area, visiting libraries, parks and other public gathering spaces.
Some local residents have made it a tradition to see the famous rodent make her prediction each year, DeBenham explained.
«We have some folks who have been coming for years and years and years,» she said.
Luckily for them, they should be able to visit Woody each year for as long as they like because, according to DeBenham, «She’s like Santa Claus.
«Prognosticating groundhogs live forever. «
