Early spring or more winter? Here's what Sun Prairie's Jimmy the Groundhog said today

Tim Langton, USA TODAY NETWORK - Wisconsin
Updated ·1 min read
Hundreds of people gather to watch the 76th annual Groundhog Day Prognostication Event at sunrise on Friday, February 2, 2024, in downtown Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
Hundreds of people gather to watch the 76th annual Groundhog Day Prognostication Event at sunrise on Friday, February 2, 2024, in downtown Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

SUN PRAIRIE - If the recent weather has you thinking spring might arrive early this year, you'll be happy to know that Jimmy the Groundhog agrees with you.

Jimmy did not see his shadow at sunrise Friday during the 76th annual Groundhog Day Prognostication ceremony in downtown Sun Prairie, which of course means we are due for an early spring. The event took place downtown in Cannery Square Park.

Sun Prairie Mayor Paul Esser, per tradition, translated Jimmy's prediction for the gathered crowd, which numbered in the hundreds. State Rep. Melissa Ratcliff (D-Cottage Grove) and state Sen. Melissa Agard (D-Madison) read the gubernatorial proclamation from Gov. Tony Evers declaring it Groundhog Day in Wisconsin.

Businesses across Sun Prairie offered a variety of specials for Groundhog Day, including a free 12-inch thin-crust cheese pizza at Rosati's with the purchase of an 18-inch pizza, and Groundhog Day shirts, hats and plush groundhogs at Razor Sharp Screen Printing & Wisconsin Apparel. With the temperature at about 30 degrees at the time of the event, Beans n Cream Coffee in downtown was busy keeping attendees warm with coffee and treats before and after the ceremony, and Faded Roots Boutique opened early to let Groundhog Day revelers warm up and do a bit of shopping.

Jimmy the Groundhog relaxes after predicting an early spring during the 76th annual Groundhog Day Prognostication ceremony at sunrise on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, in downtown Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
Jimmy the Groundhog relaxes after predicting an early spring during the 76th annual Groundhog Day Prognostication ceremony at sunrise on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, in downtown Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

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The forecast for the next few days in Wisconsin will vindicate Jimmy, with highs in the upper 30s and lower 40s across most of the state, according to the National Weather Service Green Bay.

This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Groundhog Day Wisconsin 2024: See what Sun Prairie's Jimmy predicted