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Dina Freedman ReportingIt's Groundhog Day where "rascally rodents" in several US cities search for their shadows to predict whether winter is in its waning days or not. For the 7th straight year, the granddaddy of them all, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow. Winter's with us, he says, till mid-March.
But down south, Georgia's groundhog, General Beauregard Lee, emerged to no shadow and an early spring. Birmingham Bill in neighboring Alabama sides with the prediction from Phil in Pennsylvania, and so does Buckeye Chuck in Marion, Ohio. Howell, Michigan's Woodchuck Woody, who claims he's better than Phil's 50-50 record, also saw his shadow and agrees winter's not over yet.
Meteorologist Dina Freedman visited some of our local animals here in Utah to see if they had any weather predictions of their own. Since there is no scientific method to Punxsutawney Phil's predictions we figured we'd ask some animals here their thoughts on our weather future.
Dina Freedman: "If you think we'll have an early spring will you flap your wings?"
Response:"Quack quack!"
Every year on the 2nd of February, we use a groundhog to maybe shine the light on the science of predicting the weather for the remainder of winter. In Utah, however, most ground hogs are fast asleep.
Pat Theobald, Zoo Keeper: "They slow down their metabolism, they slow down their breathing and their heart rate. I've heard some of them have been recorded to, while they are hibernating, their heart only beats three times a minute."
Groundhogs, wood chucks, or yellow bellied marmots typically live for about six to eight years and weigh 12 to 15 pounds. Phil in Pennsylvania is a little overweight. Our Utah Joe Marmot has an even bigger number, but it's in his age.
Pat Theobald, Zookeeper: "He's actually about 24-years old according to our records, which is the oldest marmot in captivity that we know of."
Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow 95 times out of the past 118 years plus today means 96. If a groundhog can predict the weather, then certainly the other animals must have methods as well.
Dina Freedman: "Do we have six more weeks of winter? Can you raise your hand?"
Tino The Gorilla: (Moves forward)
Dina Freedman: "Could I have your prediction for Groundhog Day?"
Hogle Zoo Turkeys: "Gobble"
It appears, the turkeys have no comment. Groundhog Day's origins appear to come from Candlemas Day, a holiday of the early Christians in Europe where candles were blessed and handed out. The song on the holiday related to the weather on that day.
