French Creek Freddie almost ready for annual appearance
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FRENCH CREEK -- Many local residents are looking forward to the annual appearance of West Virginia's most famous weather prognosticator - French Creek Freddie.
The state's unofficial weather-forecasting groundhog will make his prediction -- either more winter or early spring -- at the West Virginia State Wildlife Center on Thursday, Feb. 2.
This will be Freddie's 46th Groundhog Day prediction at the Center in French Creek. The free event starts at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 2 and will be free and open to the public.
"We are very excited to see what Freddie predicts this year and to welcome all of our guests, many of whom make the trip to French Creek each February," said Trevor Moore, a wildlife biologist at the Wildlife Center. "We have several special activities planned and hope to see folks and their families come out and enjoy a fun morning at the Wildlife Center."
Those who wish to attend the Wildlife Center's Groundhog Day activities should plan to arrive at the Wildlife Center amphitheater by 9:30 a.m. Freddie will provide his weather forecast at 10 a.m. Following Freddie's prediction, guests can win prizes during the 10th annual Woodchuckin' Contest. Additional activities include a meet and greet with the French Creek Freddie mascot; music performed by the French Creek Elementary School Choir; free hot chocolate and cookies at the Gift Shop; and ProjectWild activity.
According to the state Division of Natural Resources, the origins of Groundhog Day can be traced back to Candlemas Day, the traditional conclusion to the Christmas-Epiphany season when clergy would bless and distribute candles. Due to Candlemas occurring at the beginning of February, many people used the holiday to give predictions on the arrival of spring.
The Germans added to the tradition by giving the weather predicting duties to the badger. They believed that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, the badger would cast a shadow and that six more weeks of bad weather would follow. It wasn't until German settlers came to America that the groundhog became the weather-predicting animal of choice.
The modern Groundhog Day celebration was started in the 1800s by German farmers living in Pennsylvania, not far from where Freddie's cousin, Punxsutawney Phil, makes his own prediction each year.
French Creek Freddie didn't come onto the scene until more than a century later, according to the DNR. In 1978, Freddie's weather-predicting career got its start when former West Virginia State Wildlife Center Superintendent Bill Vanscoy responded to a reporter on Groundhog Day if there was a groundhog on site and if it had seen its shadow.
"I don't remember what I told him, but it was whatever was appropriate to the weather we were having," Vanscoy said. "Anyway, he asked me what the groundhog's name was. I don't know what possessed me to do it but I skipped the usual lecture on why we don't name animals and said his name was French Creek Freddie.
"It went out on The Associated Press wire and soon we were getting calls from all over the county. Every year now, people from newspapers and TV stations come out on Groundhog Day and we kick a groundhog out of its den for the cameras," Vanscoy said. "It's harmless fun and it comes at time of the year when people need some cheering up."
In the past 40 years, Freddie's forecasts have an accuracy rate of about 50 percent, the DNR states. On Groundhog Day 2021, the weather was cold, cloudy and snowy. So, when Freddie emerged from his den he did not see his shadow. Freddie predicted an early spring and he was proven correct in the following weeks.
While the average daily high in February 2021 was 36 degrees, the temperature really warmed up in March, with an average daily high of 58 degrees and six days above 70 degrees with no measurable snow.
Freddie also has the help of the National Weather Service, which has an official weather observation station at the West Virginia State Wildlife Center. The NWS has high tech instruments to measure rain or snow, and temperature recordings in the area, which is recorded and submitted daily by wildlife center staff.
For more information, call 304-924-6211 Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or visit WVdnr.gov/west-virginia-wildlife-center.