Delphi Ground Hog Predicts Six More Weeks of Winter

Happy Ground Hog Day! I am still checking on the Prairie Dogs out at Columbian Park Zoo, but the official ground hog for the Lafayette area has predicted six more weeks of winter. I will be back with more details and let you know if I agree. I wanted to wish a Happy Valentine's Day to my wife Julie. As you know this is a holiday in the Prangley family and we chose this day to tell each other how important we are to each other. It seems like yesterday when I first saw Julie walk past me at a television station in Jacksonville. She was absolutely stunning and I asked if she needed a weather forecast. Well she did and the rest is history. Three kids later she is the best of the best and she was one long-range forecast that came true. I called for a bright future and she has been everything and more. I need to run some errands. Have a great day and tune in today and tonight. Meteorologist Stefanie Davis has special in-depth coverage on our ground hog. Here are some more background facts on the Delphi Ground Hog.

While Pennsylvania has Punxsutawney Phil, locally we count on Chuckie Wheezer.The groundhog lives at the Wildcat Wildlife Center in Carroll County. Assistant Director Denise Hays says that the cute critter has a special name because of her interesting characteristics. Chuckie Wheezer is a ground hog that was brought to us, she was born in the summer of 2006 so this is her third Groundhog Day. She got her name, Chuckie-Wheezer, because the volunteers were split on a name they liked. Some of the volunteers liked Chuckles, because she made everyone laugh, and then some of the volunteers liked Wheezer because she actually has some respiratory issues, and she wheezes especially when she gets playing and running around and stuff like that. So they put it together and came up with Chuckie Wheezer.

Her forecast accuracy is an amazing 100% her first two years serving as our area Ground Hog. Her forecast of six more weeks of winter will always be remembered in 2007. The Blizzard of 2007 arrived within two weeks of her forecast. Can she keep the streak alive? Will the stratospheric warming and big block forming near Greenland verify her third consecutive forecast. I can say she went above and beyond this year by making a special visit to our WLFI weather studios this morning before her final prediction. That is one hard-working Ground Hog.

Developing....