February 2 is Groundhog Day and both a national and local groundhog are predicting early springs for 2013. In the early morning hours in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania,Punxsutawney Philwas lifted up before a crowd of thousands as it was declared he did not see his shadow. That means an early spring.
The groundhog is one of the oldest weather-predicting groundhogs in the nation – dating back to the 1800’s. Now if Phil had spotted his shadow, six more weeks of winter weather would have been predicted.
But Western New York has its own weather-predicting groundhog. Dunkirk Dave has been a “prognosticating groundhog for 58-years”, according to his Website.
Like Phil, Dave did not see his shadow early Saturday morning as he emerged in Dunkirk, New York, also predicting an early spring for 2013.
According to Dave’s handler, Bob Will, Dave is the “world’s second-longest predicting groundhog”
In 2012 WBFO News freelance reporter Brian Meyer brought us to Dunkirk to talk with Will and learn all about Dunkirk Dave. You can listen to that story by clicking this link.