GREENSBORO, NC -- We hear so much about the groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, on February 2nd -- the day is even called "Groundhog Day" -- but another hog right here in the Triad has been predicting the weather for much longer.
At the Greensboro Science Center Sonic the Hedgehog ventures out of his hut on the second day of February. Like the groundhog, if he sees his shadow and runs back inside we will see six more weeks of winter. If he stays outside we can expect an early spring. This year Sonic chose to stay outside calling for warm weather.
Did you know hedgehogs were used before groundhogs to tell us if we'll have 6 more weeks of winter or an early spring. Watch on @WFMY! pic.twitter.com/2bNDA6f48v
— Maddie Gardner (@Maddie_Gardner) February 2, 2017
The tradition dates back to the Roman Empire when weather predictions were made between winter solstice and spring equinox. Europeans honored the prediction with "Candlemas," celebrated on February 2nd. They used a hedgehog for forecasting.
When the Pennsylvania Germans immigrated to North America they began using a groundhog because hedgehogs were scarce. The groundhog stuck and Groundhog Day was born.
So which animal is more accurate? It's hard to tell. Any hibernating animal out and about can be a sign of warmer weather. Their biological clock determines when they stop sleeping and start preparing to mate in the spring.