Groundhog Freddie Gets Ready for His Weather Forecast in West Virginia Wildlife Center, February 2

The most well-known groundhog in West Virginia, Freddie, will make a forecast about the likelihood of another six weeks of winter. The Wildlife Center reports that Freddie has predicted the weather accurately about 50% of the time. He has foretold another six weeks of winter after Groundhog Day for the past three years.

Freddie the Groundhog

After COVID-19 canceled the public event, Freddie will make a public appearance for the second year in a row. There are no social restrictions or other rules in place this year. The Wildlife Center's gates will open at 9 AM. The event will commence at 10 AM.

Participants are asked to dress appropriately for the outdoor event and can enjoy free hot chocolate, which will be available on-site. For Freddie and the audience, the French Creek Elementary Choir will perform. Other events are planned, but the staff is still finishing them up, so they won't be announced until closer to the event.

West Virginia Wildlife Center

The Wildlife Center is a cutting-edge zoological establishment that houses native and exotic state wildlife. It is run by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Section.

The center is committed to giving visitors a factual and realistic understanding of the wildlife in our state. A 1.25-mile interpretive trail through an established hardwood forest is wheelchair accessible and provides opportunities to see woodland wildlife. The visitor can read interpretive signs to learn more about the biology, history, and interactions of each animal. Group tours are also available and staff will be ready to assist on-site.

History: A Game Farm

The French Creek Game Farm was established in Upshur County thanks to land acquisitions made by the Game and Fish Commission in 1923. As suggested by the name, several species, including quail, pheasant, turkey, and deer, were raised there. To reintroduce wildlife across the state, these species were used.

From 1974 to 1990, a traveling wildlife exhibit from the Game Farm gave nearly 250,000 residents a chance to see its unusual inhabitants.

The DNR Wildlife Resources Section decided to update the outdated wildlife facilities and exhibits after they had been in place for fifty years. The US Department of Interior's Land and Water Conservation Fund was used to start building new exhibits in 1984. The West Virginia State Wildlife Center is the new name for a brand-new building that was dedicated in September 1986.

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Groundhog Day and Candlemas Day

When the Christmas-Epiphany season came to an end, clergy would bless and distribute candles on Candlemas Day, which is where Groundhog Day got its start.

According to History, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania hosted the first Groundhog Day celebration on February 2, 1887. German immigrants brought the annual observance to the US, which has pre-Christian roots. As per the West Virginia DNR, Punxsutawney Phil, Freddie's cousin, makes his forecast here each year.

French Creek Freddie

It took French Creek Freddie more than a century to make an appearance. When a reporter asked the former director of the West Virginia State Wildlife Center, Bill Vanscoy if there was a groundhog present and if it had seen its shadow on Groundhog Day in 1978, Freddie's career in weather forecasting began. French Creek Freddie is the moniker that Vanscoy came up with.

The National Weather Service, which has a certified weather observation station located at the West Virginia State Wildlife Center, also assists Freddie.

The NWS has high-tech equipment to measure rain or snowfall as well as local temperature readings, which are documented and submitted daily by staff members of wildlife centers, WV News - The Record reports.