Groundhog Day: Colorado's own Flatiron Freddy agrees with Punxsutawney Phil
Colorado does not have groundhogs but there is an infamous marmot in Boulder that made a prediction about spring Thursday morning.
February 2 is the midway point between the first day of winter and the first day of spring and is the day a groundhog named Phil in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania makes a prediction about a possibly early spring. As legend goes, if the groundhog see a shadow it means six more weeks of winter. No shadow means an early spring.
About ten years ago Colorado started a similar tradition in the Chautauqua Meadow in Boulder with a critter named Flatiron Freddy. The marmot, which is a close relative to a groundhog, appeared shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday morning at the Chautauqua Ranger Cottage.
According to the park rangers who interpreted what Freddy had to say, the marmot saw a shadow therefore six more weeks of winter is predicted for Colorado. Punxsutawney Phil had the same prediction from Pennsylvania.