We waited with bated, and somewhat frosty breath, to see if the groundhog saw his shadow this morning.
Jackson, Georgia’s General Lee, did not see his shadow, which means spring is coming sooner rather than later. However, Punxsutawney Phil and our local groundhog prognosticator, Yonah, did see their shadows predicting six more weeks of winter.
Their prognostications were delivered virtually. The early morning groundhog wakeup calls in Pennsylvania, Jackson and White County, Georgia, were beamed via live stream worldwide.
A Virtual Groundhog Day
This year’s events were far more subdued than in year’s past due to the pandemic. Cardboard cutouts greeted Phil and his handlers at Gobbler’s Knob, where, traditionally, thousands gather each year to celebrate Groundhog Day.
The famed celebration originated with German settlers, who came to Pennsylvania in the 1700s and brought their seasonal superstitions with them. Legend has it that if Phil sees his shadow on February 2, the winter chill will continue. Oddly, if the weather is cloudy and he doesn’t see his shadow, we can expect warmer temperatures and early spring.
Georgia started its own groundhog tradition 39 years ago with General Beauregard Lee. General Lee was a celebrity groundhog for decades in Gwinnett County before he moved to Jackson last year.
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the current “Beau” is the “bachelor nephew” of the original Gen. Lee. He now resides at the Dauset Trails Nature Center in Jackson to carry out his duty of predicting an early spring or declaring a longer winter.
The more localized winter/spring forecaster is Yonah. He hails from the North Georgia Wildlife Park and Zoo near Cleveland, Georgia.
