Even during COVID, Groundhog Day in Raleigh will go on - virtually

So it's kind of felt like Groundhog Day since last March. But the actual Groundhog Day is coming up. And, as usual, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences is celebrating.

Feb. 2 usually means a big in-person event at the museum with lots of people crowded around to see if Sir Walter Wally sees his shadow and take part in other activities.

But, this year, Wally who is regularly featured on The Weather Channel's list of national Grondhog Day representatives, will be making his annual weather prognostication virtually via the downtown Raleigh museum's YouTube channel.

This year’s event will held from noon to 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 2. You can tune in to hear museum educators present the history of Groundhog Day and natural facts about these amazing rodents, according to a press release.

Then you can sing along with a museum educator as she guides you through an original rendition of the Groundhog Day song. Finally, you can watch the shadow ceremony broadcast live from Wally’s socially distant home in Roan Mountain State Park, Tenn. Raleigh Mayor Pro Tem Nicole Stewart and Museum Director Eric Dorfman will join museum educator Chris Smith to assist Wally with the forecast, the press release says. If he sees his shadow, they say we'll see six more weeks of winter.