​Weather-Predicting Groundhog Dies Just Before Groundhog Day

The groundhog at the centre of New Jersey's Groundhog Day celebrations passed away just days before its big moment.

Groundhog Day is based on an old superstition which claims if the animal emerges from its burrow and sees its shadow, it will retreat as winter is set to continue for six more weeks.

If the animal emerges to cloud coverage and no shadow, this allegedly signals spring-like weather is on the horizon.

Even though studies have shown no direct correlation between groundhog activity and actual weather - with statistics more likely coming down to chance - residents of New Jersey's Milltown were looking forward to the celebrations yesterday (February 2).

Its resident groundhog, however, had other ideas.

Milltown Mel passed away on January 31.

Event organisers said Mel's untimely death meant they couldn't find an alternative groundhog for the celebrations.

"Considering the average lifespan of a Groundhog is about three years, [the death] is not such a shock, but Mel left us at a tough time of year, when most of his fellow groundhogs are hibernating, so no babies will be available to replace him until this spring," Mel's Facebook revealed.

Even without the untimely death, the event was facing logistical challenges, with the county currently not renting out its big Showmobile stage due to the pandemic.

They've promised to have a proper weather predicter in place an alive for next year's Groundhog Day.

The idea of Groundhog Day has reached a wider audience via the 1993 film of the same name, starring Bill Murray.

In it, Murray's character Phil, a 'self-centred weather man' becomes trapped in a loop as he relives Groundhog Day over and over again.

It became one of the highest-grossing films of 1993.

Topics: News