Essex County Groundhog Will Make Weather, Super Bowl Predictions

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Will she see her shadow – or will Essex County have an early spring thaw? That will be the question that the Turtle Back Zoo’s resident weather prognosticator will answer this Groundhog Day.

On Friday, Lady Edwina of Essex will make her annual prediction during a holiday event at the zoo.

According to the myth, if a groundhog sees their shadow on Feb. 2, the winter chill will continue. If the weather is cloudy and they don’t see their shadow, people can expect warmer temperatures and early spring.

Essex County typically adds a twist to the annual tradition, asking the resident groundhog at the zoo to predict a winner of the Super Bowl, too.

Edwina – who took over Groundhog Day duties from the late Essex Ed two years ago – predicted that the Philadelphia Eagles would defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII (the Chiefs won by a score of 38-35). She also predicted the Los Angeles Rams as victors in the Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022 (the Rams won, 23-20.)

This year’s prediction from Edwina will take place at 10 a.m. at the Mount Education Building at the Turtle Back Zoo, which is located at 560 Northfield Avenue in West Orange. It will be livestreamed on Facebook, county officials said.

• See Related: 6 Places To Watch The Big Game In Essex County

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.