Dueling groundhogs: Raleigh’s offers a different forecast than his Punxsutawney rival

Shaking the snow off his coat, Sir Walter Wally forecast an early spring for Raleigh — a risky, offbeat prediction from Raleigh’s honorary groundhog.

In a YouTube broadcast from the Tennessee mountains, Raleigh’s marmot prognosticator led the first virtual Groundhog Day, staying clear of the annual crowd at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh.

With elementary school students watching from Henderson to Sanford, Wally communicated his no-shadow message to Raleigh City Council member Nicole Stewart, who wore a translation helmet made from a colander.

“You should be wearing a mask,” Stewart jokingly warned the groundhog. “You say you’ve already been vaccinated?”

Wally’s prediction varied from his more-famous competitor, Punxsutawney Phil, who called for six more weeks of winter as a light snow fell in Pennsylvania.

The museum noted that Wally’s historic accuracy stands at 56% compared to 39% from Phil.

But the conflicts don’t end there. In nearby Garner, Snerd the groundhog told Mayor Ken Marshburn to expect another cold six weeks.

Snerd appeared to be sleeping at the time.

This story was originally published February 2, 2021 at 12:39 PM.