General Beauregard Lee is a groundhog in the US state of Georgia widely considered to be the Groundhog Day weather prognosticator for the Southern United States. [1] The previous forecaster before General Beauregard Lee was General Robert E. Lee, who started making predictions in 1981. [2] General Beauregard Lee has made his official Groundhog Day prediction: It will be an early spring. The Georgia groundhog with the distinctly southern name emerged from his tiny southern mansion on Punxsutawney held its first Groundhog Day in the 1800s. The first official trek to Gobbler's Knob — a tiny hill just outside of the town — wasn't made until Feb. 2, 1887. That year, Phil saw Lee is credentialed, even—Georgia State University named him a Doctor of Southern Groundology. His success rate hovers just above 50 percent, with at least one serious whiff—in 2014, he predicted an early spring in the days between two major Southern ice storms. Most of the country looks toward Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney Phil for guidance on Groundhog Day. But Georgia has its own oracle: General Beauregard Lee, one of several woodchucks presiding over the southeastern United States since 1981. Feb. 2 is Groundhog Day, which means people nationwide are visiting rodents for their weather predictions. Driving the news: We asked Axios Atlanta readers to pick the best prognosticator between two groundhogs: Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil or Georgia's own Gen. Beauregard "Beau" Lee. 67.2% picked Beau. Overall, 279 of you responded to the Groundhogs General Beauregard Lee in Jackson, Ga., predicted six more weeks of winter and Punxsutawney Phil in Punxsutawney, Pa., said there will be an early spring with conflicting Here in Georgia, we turn to our own General Beauregard Lee for his prediction. He’s widely considered to be the Groundhog Day weather prognosticator for the Southern United States and began prognosticating in 1981. General Lee has predicted an early spring. WATCH LIVE: This winter has been harsh, especially in the Midwest and East Coast, but in just a couple weeks, on Groundhog Day, we'll find out if we're going to find out we're going to have an extra long Don’t you like the Southern forecaster’s plan a little better? “Beau” is the “bachelor nephew” of “General Robert E. Lee,” a celebrity groundhog that predicted spring’s arrival from his residence in Gwinnett County for decades. The 20-year-old “Beau” was relocated to the private, non-profit Dauset Trails Nature Center in 2018. As for 2025, the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction center is forecasting above average temperatures across the southern part of the country in the week after Groundhog Day, while average and slightly colder than average temperatures will stick around for the northern tier. Thanks to a small town in northern Illinois, Groundhog Day is bigger than one chubby rodent and its shadow dropping a dubious weather forecast. In Woodstock, the groundhog takes a backseat to the real cause for celebration: the 1993 Bill Murray movie that was filmed there. WNIJ’s Under Rocks team visited the famed town square with the head of the annual festival (and Groundhog Day movie JACKSON, Ga. - Beauregard "Beau" Lee, Georgia's famous groundhog, has made his weather forecast. Beau emerged from his home in Jackson on Groundhog Day and did not see his shadow. His appearance marks the unofficial start of spring for southern Nevada. Groundhog Day has been a tradition at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania since the late 1800s and it's still Originally, Groundhog Day was a Celtic festival marking the year’s first cross-quarter day, or a midpoint between seasons. Read more about the ancient Celtic calendar here. Celebrated at the beginning of February, the day was called Imbolc —a term from Old Irish that is most often translated as “in the belly”—a reference to the soon Groundhog Day Bringing People Together From All Over The World! One holiday that brings thousands of people together from all over the world to celebrate the prediction of a furry forecaster. Sometimes, we have groundhog day several times a week down here in the South. Southern Lady remembers one time many years ago when my twins were about four years old. The old black screen door slammed on our farmhouse as they rushed into the kitchen to tell me what a neighbor told them. Groundhog Day Blizzard. Blizzard conditions impacted southern Wisconsin in February of 2011. "The groundhog is like most other prophets; it delivers its prediction and then disappears." Infuse some fun into your Groundhog Day celebration with these custom cookies featuring a themed design. Indulge in a delicious treat that will surely bring a smile to your face (and possibly even predict your own shadow)!
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