Connecticut's State Groundhog Makes The Annual Prediction

MANCHESTER, CT — The thermometer seemed to be just as much a prognosticator as Connecticut's state groundhog Monday morning.

The temperature read 6 degrees in the Lutz Children's Museum parking lot at 5:45 a.m. and that number held up as Chuckles XI made her annual Groundhog Day prediction. That's right ... we're looking at six more weeks of winter.

Chuckles emerged from her residence at the Lutz and saw her shadow. The subsequent prediction was consistent with the famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, who also saw his shadow in Pennsylvania and forecast six more weeks of winter.

The prediction had its challenges in Manchester, however.

Though Chuckles was able to get out for a bit, she is a rescue animal who suffers from anxiety after a traumatic experience in her earlier life. She therefore preferred to stay in a temporary holding den, complete with an observation bubble.

Manchester Mayor Jay Moran, being the only one who can fluently speak and understand groundhog by virtue of his election, was able to call Chuckles and get the official prognostication.

Moran also had a numbers revelation.

"It read 2 degrees at my house this morning and there are 2 feet of snow on the ground," he said. "I knew we were in for a longer winter."

While on the official call to Chuckles, Moran initially had that "whaaaat?" look on his face.

He then calmly delivered the news.

Manchester Board of Directors member Dennis Schain, a skier, said the news wasn't all bad.

"It's been so good on the mountains, and we want it to last," he said.

Lutz Executive Director Clare Mazur said the prediction can be, well, unpredictable and is a testament to what the Lutz does.

"The celebration of Groundhog Day is just one example of how the Lutz Children’s Museum celebrates our animal ambassadors. We love sharing our animals and bringing the community together at the museum on this special holiday," Mazur said.

Globally, the tradition of Groundhog Day dates back centuries to help ease the transition from
winter to spring.

At the Lutz Children’s Museum, the tradition began in 1979 with an injured groundhog rescued from the wild and then-State Senator Mary Ann Handley’s legislation seeking official state status for Chuckles. Steeped in nostalgia, the communitywide event "casts off the stressors of modern life, boosts optimism for the future, and promotes feelings of social connectedness," Mazur said.

The ceremony also comes with another tradition — the Chuckles song. It is annually presented by Manchester's troubadours to lighten the mood and set the stage for the groundhog's official announcement.

The event was sponsored by Travelin' Tom's Coffee Truck of Manchester and Dairy Queen of Manchester.