Local groundhog contradicts Punxsutawney Phil

CHICKASAW COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring for all of us.

But there’s another forecaster that locals trust a little more, and he’s telling us more winter’s in store.

At the gas and grocery store off Highway 15 in Chickasaw County, only a few people were getting gas.

It’s the groundhog drawing a small crowd.

It’s just good for the community, especially when it’s a small community, like Anchor, Mississippi,” said groundhog judge Glen Vance.

He’ll help keep an eye on the town’s groundhog, Chickasaw JW, to see if he notices his shadow.

Tony Gregory owns the groundhog; he says he and his friends came up with the idea ten years ago. They’ve held their own weather prediction event since then.

“It’s less about weather, and more about getting people together,” Gregory said.

It’s become a regular stomping event for local politicians, a chance for local Tommy Criddle to show off his homemade stew, and for Gregory, it’s a family affair.

“That’s my grandson, Wyatt,” Gregory said as he called for Wyatt to join him.

Wyatt told us “you have to wear sunglasses if it’s hot and a hat if it’s cold.”

Not knowing what the groundhog would do, Wyatt wore both.

But in the end, he saw his shadow. The crowd wasn’t pleased with the outcome, but Wyatt said he didn’t care.

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