All signs point to bundling up, because six more weeks of winter is on the horizon—at least, according to Michigan’s official groundhog Woody the Woodchuck.
Woody gave her prediction during an annual celebration at Howell Nature Center on Feb. 2, seeing her shadow and running back into her den at the last moment.
The prediction came around 8:30 a.m. when the doors of “Woody’s House” opened and a 30-second timer began. Woody has been sharing her predictions since 1999, and has been right 63% of the time, according to officials at Howell Nature Center.
While the annual celebration on Groundhog Day is a fun, family-friendly event, the organization also wants to educate residents about woodchucks and how to live in harmony with them. Children, parents and grandparents split themselves up based on whether they were rooting for a longer winter or early spring; and many children participated in the center’s costume contest—dressing as winter, spring, or even Woody.
Woody spends her days at Howell Nature Center’s Wild Wonders Wildlife Park. According to legend, Woody arrived at the organization in 1998 as an orphan rescued by a farmer’s wife.
Punxsutawney Phil, the popular rodent of Pennsylvania, agreed with Woody—also predicting six more weeks of winter.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Michigan’s official groundhog predicts six more weeks of winter
Reporting by Makayla Coffee, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
