Students visit for Groundhog Day prediction of early spring
Posted: February 2, 2026
Students from Deer Park Elementary School got to see Hampton Roads' own Groundhog Day prediction for an early spring up close on February 2.
Three classes of kindergarteners were in the audience as local groundhog Chesapeake Chuck performed the annual ritual at the Virginia Living Museum. After not seeing a shadow this year, Chuck's indication that winter shouldn't last much longer left some thrilled and others in attendance disappointed.
Traditional lore has it that the groundhog seeing his or her shadow portends six more weeks of winter, while not seeing the shadow means an early spring.
Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones and WAVY-TV 10 Meteorologist Kristy Steward joined museum officials to conduct the frosty morning's festivities.
"I know that you have the same science and nature focus as the Virginia Living Museum," said Jones, welcoming Deer Park students on their field trip to the museum. "As an environmental science magnet school and a Virginia Department of Education Exemplar School, your excellence and academic achievement shine."
Lyn Heller, the museum's senior director of living exhibits, called groundhogs the most interesting small mammal in Virginia. She shared lots of facts, including that groundhogs are one the few animals that truly hibernate and that they can sleep for months at a time.
Chesapeake Chuck actually woke up right on time to participate in Groundhog Day, and otherwise would have been allowed to sleep right through it undisturbed, according to Heller.
"Groundhog Day falls right at the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox," Steward said, describing the day's weather significance. "So it's exactly halfway between the depths of winter and the arrival of spring. Now, ancient traditions recognize this as the turning point in seasons.
"And today we continue to change seasons by asking our own Chesapeake Chuck to help us look ahead at what the weather has in store, if we might see an early spring or if we're going to be staying in winter with this frigid air for a little while longer."
Students were very excited to see Chuck take the stage and snack on corn, broccoli and apples. After convening briefly, officials announced Chuck's future weather verdict by reading a proclamation.
"Chesapeake Chuck, the amazing local weather forecasting groundhog, cast a joyful eye toward the sky in Hampton Roads and has proclaimed no shadow, so an early spring it will be," Jones read.
Prior to the unveiling, students had chosen a sign depending upon their guess. Those with early spring signs proudly waved them before students got a change to visit Chuck up close.
