Groundhog Day 2024: What did Uni of Lebanon County say?

Daniel Larlham Jr., Lebanon Daily News
·1 min read

Uni the groundhog took his yearly trip down the Tulpehocken Creek in Myerstown on Friday before giving his call on whether there would be an additional six weeks of winter this year.

About 150 people attended the Groundhog Day event, held early in the morning at the Myerstown Community Park. Before Uni's trip down the river, adults and children alike stopped to take pics with Uni, some sporting Groundhog Day memorabilia.

At around 8 a.m., Uni was floated down the creek, and had a quick conversation in Dutch with forecaster Donald Hickernell of the Union Canal Groundhog Lodge No. 17  (in Dutch, Grundsau Lodsch Nummer Siwwezeh am Union Kanaal) after he was pulled out.

Uni the Groundhog took his 43rd trip down the Tulpehocken on Friday and gave his prediction on whether there would be six more weeks of winter, or an early spring.
Uni the Groundhog took his 43rd trip down the Tulpehocken on Friday and gave his prediction on whether there would be six more weeks of winter, or an early spring.

Hickernell said that Uni did not see his shadow, predicting that there would be early spring. He also said that Uni told him there would be some rain and some snow.

Prior to the forecast, the lodge held a brief moment of silence for Earl Hehnly, a member of the lodge who passed away in late January.

Lodge member Donald Hickernell had a brief conversation with Uni before announcing first in Dutch, and then in English, that Uni did not see his shadow, meaning an early spring this year.
Lodge member Donald Hickernell had a brief conversation with Uni before announcing first in Dutch, and then in English, that Uni did not see his shadow, meaning an early spring this year.

Punxsutawney Phil made a similar prediction on Friday, not seeing his shadow and predicting and early spring.

This is Uni's 43rd boat trip down Tulpehocken Creek and forecast.

Edwin Engle, president of the lodge, said that holding the Groundhog Day event is a fun way to keep the legacy of the Pennsylvania Dutch alive, which he described as quickly fading.

He was pleased with the large turnout for this event and attributed most of it on the good weather and little rain.

Daniel Larlham Jr. is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at DLarlham@LDNews.com or on X @djlarlham.

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Uni the Groundhog: Will there be six more weeks of winter?