Yes, it’s Groundhog Day, the halfway-point of winter in which a groundhog determines — through seeing its shadow — whether there will be six more weeks of winter or whether spring is right around the corner.
Festivities underway in Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, celebrate the most famous of groundhogs — Punxsutawney Phil.
At 7:23 a.m., surrounded by men in top hats and before a crowd of thousands, the Pennsylvania groundhog announced that there would be an early spring.
Fireworks and singing made up a prelude to Phil’s prediction, with the Star Wars theme blaring over bursting fireworks.
Massachusetts has its own official groundhog, Ms. G, which defied Punxsutawney Phil in 2023 to predict an early spring while Phil said more winter.
Unfortunately, Ms. G is sitting Groundhog Day out this year due to hair loss — a common occurrence for juvenile female groundhogs, Aaron Gouveia, director of public relations for Mass Audubon, told MassLive Thursday.
Instead, a bunch of kids will likely look for their shadows at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, where Ms. G usually makes her prediction.
Another Massachusetts groundhog, Worcester’s Cornelia, is at the Ecotarium with Worcester Mayor Joe Petty for the annual Groundhog Day proclamation on Friday, Feb. 2 starting at 11 a.m. Viewers can watch it live on their Facebook page.
There are many other groundhogs making predictions on Feb. 2 in New York, Ohio, Connecticut and elsewhere.
The weather on Groundhog Day will largely be overcast, meaning shadows might be hard to see.
