Happy Groundhog Day. Thankfully, we aren't waking up to a repeat of last Monday — this weekend's "bomb cyclone" mostly missed us. However, Punxsutawney Phil is predicting six more weeks of winter after seeing his shadow this morning. The good news for those hoping for an early spring? The Pennsylvania groundhog is right only 35% of the time. And over the last few decades, a group of copycat groundhogs and other shadowy prognosticators has emerged in Massachusetts for those looking for a second (or third) opinion: - Ms. G: Our "official" state groundhog, Ms. G has been delivering her own Groundhog Day forecast since 2008 from Mass Audubon's Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln. And she gets it right 60% of the time, according to Mass Audubon. She's expected to check her shadow at 10 a.m. today, which you can stream on Drumlin Farm's Facebook page . "Groundhog Day is just a really fun time for people to get outside after we've been kind of cooped up for a while, especially with big storms like this," Renata Pomponi, chief of staff for Mass Audubon, told WBUR's Amy Sokolow.
- Quentin the quahog: Nantucketers turn to a different type of 'hog for signs of an early spring. Quahogs are hard clams, and each year, the town hatchery selects one from the harbor to be that year's Quentin. "We kind of try to choose one that looks like it's going to be able to predict the future," biologist Joseph Minella told Amy. (What does a predictive clam look like? " It's not too scientific," Minella admitted. " We kind of want one that's a little bit bigger than normal eating size.") The clam is cracked open, and the forecast is determined by which side of the shell the clam's water spurts out. Left means six more weeks of winter; right means early spring. Minella says Quentin's accuracy rate is in the "high 70s." The bad news for Quentin? After his prediction, he is immediately eaten.
- Cornelia: Worcester Mayor Joe Petty won't be at Ms. G's event today. That's because the city has its own resident groundhog that's been making predictions at Worcester's Ecotarium since 2023. (Today's 10 a.m. event is invite-only, but you can visit Cornelia at the museum Tuesday through Sunday during regular hours.)
- Ms. Featherstone the plastic flamingo: Did you know the plastic flamingo was invented in Leominster? The city is so fond of its local creation that since 2016 they've been turning to a plastic pink flamingo called Ms. Featherstone (named for the flamingo's inventor, Don Featherstone) for their Groundhog Day forecast. Yes, seriously.
Shipping down from Boston: No matter what Phil, Ms. G, Quentin, et al. say, there's another sure sign that spring in New England is on the way. It's Truck Day at Fenway Park. As the Patriots settle in in California for the Super Bowl on Sunday, the Red Sox are packing up for the start of spring training in Fort Myers, Florida. The team's equipment truck will be loaded this morning and start the 1,480-mile trip by noon. The haul includes 20,400 baseballs, over a thousand bats, hundreds of helmets and jerseys, 60 cases of sunflower seeds and 20 cases of bubble gum. - FYI: According to a Red Sox spokesperson, the multi-day journey via truck is necessary due to the "sheer amount of equipment," as well as tradition, which dates back to 2003. (Ironically, the Truck Day event is sponsored by JetBlue.)
Heads up: The Fall River/New Bedford commuter rail line is operating on a reduced schedule this morning due to cold temperatures and this weekend's snowfall on the South Coast. The MBTA is asking commuters to allot extra time for travel, and to take caution on station platforms today. You can view the modified schedule here. The Beanpot begins: Men's hockey teams from Boston University, Boston College, Harvard University and Northeastern University will hit the ice tonight at TD Garden for the annual Beanpot semifinals. Boston College and Harvard play first at 5 p.m., followed by Boston University (the current reigning champs) and Northeastern at 8 p.m. The winners will play in the tournament championship next Monday, Feb. 9. P.S. — Our "Curated Cuisine" series at CitySpace returns tonight with Greek chef and author Diane Kochilas (after being postponed due to last week's storm). Come to hear Kochilas discuss Athenian food with WBUR's Deborah Becker; stay to sample braised chickpeas with olives, pistachios and roasted tomatoes — a recipe featured in her cookbook — following the conversation. You can buy tickets here. |
