Did Milwaukee County Zoo's Gordy the groundhog see his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter?

Gordy, the Milwaukee County Zoo's "goofy, friendly" almost-5-year-old groundhog, saw his shadow at the zoo's annual Groundhog Day ceremony Thursday.

Here's what you should know about the annual event.

When is Groundhog Day?

Groundhog Day is Feb. 2 every year. It's a tradition that derives from a superstition that if the weather is sunny and a groundhog emerges from its den to see its shadow, it will return to its burrow for six more weeks of winter. If it's a cloudy day and it doesn't see its shadow, there will be an early spring.

Did the groundhog see his shadow in Milwaukee in 2023?

Gordy did see his shadow. The superstition says that means six more weeks of winter for Milwaukee.

Where did the Groundhog Day ceremony take place in Milwaukee?

The ceremony, which was streamed on the zoo's Facebook page, took place at the Northwestern Mutual Family Farm at 9 a.m. before the zoo's opening, and was hosted by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and the zoo's director, Amos Morris.

After introductory remarks, Crowley and Morris invited Gordy to exit his house. As the door opened to cheers from those present, Gordy decided to keep people waiting a bit longer by staying inside. Scattered peanuts — one of his favorite foods, according to Morris — finally tempted him to come outside.

As Gordy enjoyed his snack, Crowley read questions from the zoo's Instagram page. "How much does Gordy weigh?" he asked. Morris answered that he's somewhere between 8 and 12 pounds. When asked if that's big or small for a groundhog, Morris laughed and said, "I think that's a healthy groundhog, one that's well-loved."

After a few more minutes, Crowley asked Morris for Gordy's verdict. Morris looked up at the sunny sky and sighed, admitting that even though zoo administration had "tried to manipulate the set" so Gordy wouldn't see his shadow and "would bring spring back," the groundhog's shadow was clearly visible.

Although the public couldn't attend the ceremony in person, online guests were invited to join the fun by coloring a picture to make their own prediction and following along with the ceremony by playing Bingo, marking off words as they heard them said by Crowley and Morris. Bingo winners were able to enter their cards into a drawing to win a pack of groundhog-related prizes.

What should I know about Gordy the groundhog at the Milwaukee County Zoo?

Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are one of the largest members of the ground squirrel family. They have two layers of fur, one that keeps them warm and one that keeps them dry.

Gordy, who was born in Indiana, will turn 5 years old this spring, and has been said by his keepers to have a "goofy and friendly personality." His favorite foods — other than peanuts — are bananas and raw broccoli, and his favorite activity is shredding paper bags and newspaper.

How accurate is the groundhog? What happened in 2022 in Milwaukee?

In 2022, Gordy didn't see his shadow, which should have meant an early spring for Milwaukee. Was he accurate? Well, you be the judge. There was definitely snow, ice and slush following Gordy's prediction. And, in Milwaukee, it's debatable what constitutes an "early spring." After all, a "non-early" spring is considered six weeks after Groundhog Day, bringing us to March 16. No snow or cold weather by March 16? Most Wisconsinites would consider that a pretty early spring.