Six more weeks of winter, or an early spring? This Groundhog Day, meet the West Virginia State Wildlife Center’s very own weather-predicting rodent.


This story was originally published in the February 2025 issue of Wonderful West Virginia. To subscribe, visit wonderfulwv.com.

Written by Laney Eichelberger

Photos courtesy of West Virginia Department of Commerce


At the dawn of each day, one special groundhog opens his sleepy eyes to a plush bed of straw. Mere footsteps away, the bright outdoors awaits his bumbling paws. His every need is catered to by West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) experts, with private dining on only the finest of dog kibble and daily foraging on fresh vegetation and insects. For about five months a year, he curls up for the nap of a lifetime, peaceful slumber interrupted by no one. 

People gather from all across the state – and sometime, the country – to witness Freddie’s weather prediction.

Well, almost no one.

Each year on February 2, this famous rodent is met by a hopeful crowd of more than 100 visitors. Finally, the moment his fans have been waiting for: Is West Virginia fated for six more weeks of winter, or an early spring? A decree so grand is a big responsibility for one groundhog, but such is the life of the West Virginia State Wildlife Center’s very own weather-predicting marmot: French Creek Freddie.

Whistlepigs and Land Beavers and Woodchucks, Oh My!

There are quite a few animals you’re sure to encounter in the forests of West Virginia, from the emblematic white-tailed deer to the cheerful cardinal. Only one Mountain State icon has its own holiday, though—the groundhog, also known as the woodchuck, whistlepig, or land beaver. This large rodent of many colorful nicknames shares a taxonomic family with chipmunks and prairie dogs. It is most recognizable for its thick, brown fur, whistle-like defensive call, and four large incisors, which must be filed on trees and other materials to manage their endless growth. Groundhogs live up to eight years in the wild and bear two to six pups per litter, affectionately called “chucklings.”

Although it’s got “ground” in the name, the groundhog skill set also features swimming and climbing—but digging is certainly its greatest strength. The typical groundhog burrow stretches 50 feet and features multiple entrances, a handful of tunnels designed to prevent flooding, and individual dens for pup-rearing, sleeping, hibernation, and even a restroom. Throughout the construction process, a groundhog may move more than 700 pounds of dirt—a nuisance to many landowners, but an impressive feat for a 12-pound rodent. 

Alongside their burrowing talents, groundhogs are well-known for their status as one of the few animals to experience a true hibernation. From October through March, a groundhog loses 30% of its body fat. Its internal temperature drops to near-freezing, with a heart rate as low as four beats per minute and a respiratory rate of a single breath per minute.

Unique traits like these make groundhogs a standout exhibit at the Wildlife Center and establish Groundhog Day as a model platform for the center’s mission: education and appreciation of the Mountain State’s native and introduced wildlife.

How a German Superstition Becomes a West Virginian Tradition

Groundhog Day’s roots trace back to traditional European celebrations of Candlemas, the midpoint between winter and spring, and did not originally feature groundhogs. The badger was the original authority on shadow-based weather predictions, but was replaced by the native groundhog when German settlers established the tradition in North America. “Badgers aren’t native to West Virginia, so we’ve adapted to our local fauna and try to make ceremonies our own,” says Zack Brown, assistant chief of operations for the WVDNR Wildlife Resources Section. He says skunks and other animals might wrap up their seasonal snooze by February, while groundhogs typically hibernate until March—but it’s safe to say no one wants to poke a skunk out of its den for a weather prediction.

The West Virginia Wildlife Center is over 330 acres of discovery waiting to happen, perfect for families and day trips.

The first Groundhog Day took place on February 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, with the nation’s most famous weather-predicting animal, Punxsutawney Phil. Nearly 100 years later, West Virginia introduced its very own mystical marmot. On Groundhog Day in 1978, a reporter called the Wildlife Center inquiring about the presence and names of any forecasting groundhogs at the facility. Former center superintendent Bill Vanscoy spontaneously offered up the name “French Creek Freddie,” and the news of West Virginia’s very own weather-predicting rodent quickly spread across the country. Nearly 50 years later, WVDNR wildlife biologist Trevor Moore says the Groundhog Day celebration has evolved into one of the Wildlife Center’s largest events Moore joined the Wildlife Center team in 2021 and, due to the pandemic, was quickly tasked with the organization of a virtual Groundhog Day. One year later, he witnessed the true spirit of the event, with a crowd of nearly 300 enthusiastic local, national, and even international visitors.

     “People come to me and say, ‘I’ve been coming to see Freddie for the last 20 years,’ because they love it,” says Moore. Last year, a West Virginia native who spent most of her life in Utah before returning home to Almost Heaven called Moore to find out if this event from fond childhood memories was still being held. He was glad to inform her of the continued growth and popularity of the Wildlife Center’s Groundhog Day event and welcomed the caller and her family to take part in the festivities.

A Big Day for a Little Groundhog

On a typical day at the Wildlife Center, Freddie and his groundhog neighbors are largely left to their routines of foraging and napping. Staff perform regular habitat cleanings and ensure that the animals are lively, with plenty of food, water, and the occasional offering of an enrichment treat. With the onset of groundhog hibernation in October, that routine changes. Hibernation dens are prepared with maximum comfort in mind, explains Moore. “We really pack that den in, make it nice and cozy. We have a couple other dens so everyone is separate—so no one is getting grumpy with each other as they get ready to hibernate.” From there, the rodents are left to their slumbers. Up until February, that is.

One week before Groundhog Day, staff prop open Freddie’s door and ensure he is awake and ready for duty. “After all, no one wants a sleepy groundhog on Groundhog Day,” says Moore. On the big day, Freddie is moved to a special display habitat in preparation for his 10 a.m. prediction. 

The event kicks off around 9:30 a.m. with activities such as the annual woodchucking contest and refreshments of free hot cocoa and cookies from the Wildlife Center gift shop. Crowd participation is encouraged through the distribution of prizes based on achievements, such as the farthest travelers or oldest attendee. Last year, guests from Belgium were awarded the former. Moore fulfills the Wildlife Center’s educational mission with a series of groundhog fun facts, and local schools and bands perform a series of groundhog- and Freddie-themed songs.

No trip to the Wildlife Center is complete without a stop by the gift shop.

Finally, the center’s resident groundhog whisperer enters Freddie’s enclosure and encourages the rodent to venture out and search for his shadow as the crowd waits with bated breath. Although the groundhog’s overall accuracy is akin to flipping a coin, Moore says Freddie’s reliability in recent years has earned his trust. 

The festivities don’t end with his prediction. Visit Freddie up-close and take pictures next to his enclosure, or take advantage of photo ops with the Wildlife Center’s Freddie mascot. Then, explore the center’s wheelchair-accessible 1.25-mile trail to view more than 30 species of regional wildlife before stopping by the gift shop for a souvenir.

The band Enny Corner provided entertainment for Freddie’s guest at a previous Groundhog Day event.

On Groundhog Day and beyond, Moore says the greatest souvenir you can find at the Wildlife Center is lasting memories. “Ultimately our goal is to educate people, and if we have fun along the way, that’s the best part. When you have a good time somewhere, that’s what you remember,” says Moore. “You remember the feeling of it, you remember, ‘Hey, I really liked our time here.’” In the end, Freddie is more than a small-town groundhog making big-time predictions. Through the enduring legacy of this Groundhog Day tradition, the Wildlife Center inspires a deeper connection between the community and West Virginia’s unique wildlife—even those that can be found right in your backyard, digging up your tulips.