![\"Sir](\"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/NIK_5712_edited_640x480.jpg\")
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RALEIGH, N.C. \u2013 This year\u2019s weather got off to an unusual start in North Carolina, with temperatures in the capital city ranging from an icy 9\u00b0F to a balmy 76\u00b0F in the same week. But now it\u2019s Sir Walter Wally\u2019s time to weigh in on how much longer we\u2019ll have to keep our coats in close proximity. The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences\u2019 20th annual Groundhog Day celebration takes place Thursday, February 2 on Bicentennial Plaza in front of the Museum. The day\u2019s activities kick off at 9 a.m. and run through 1 p.m. The shadow ceremony, where Wally makes his prediction, begins promptly at noon. According to legend, if he sees his shadow, we\u2019re in for six more weeks of winter.<\/p>\n
Whether you call him a groundhog, a woodchuck or a \u201cwhistle pig,\u201d one thing you can\u2019t call Sir Walter Wally is inconsistent. Regularly listed among the Weather Channel\u2019s \u201cTop 11 Groundhogs to Watch,\u201d Wally came in at #7 in 2016 and he continues to gain national attention for his accuracy. Since 1998, Wally has been right 58 percent of the time, while his cousin to the north of us, Punxsutawney Phil, has been only 37 percent accurate.<\/p>\n
The Museum is pleased to welcome Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane back as our official \u201cGroundhog Whisperer,\u201d who will join former Museum educator John Connors, outfitted in top hat and tails, to assist Wally with the forecast.\u00a0Immediately following the ceremony, Wally and Connors will be available for photos. After his prediction and day in the spotlight, Wally heads back to the mountains to his home at Genesis Wildlife Sanctuary\/Thistle Dew.<\/p>\n
Beginning at 9 a.m. visitors can also take advantage of educational stations like \u201cSnakes in Winter,\u201d \u201cSigns of Spring,\u201d the \u201cHistory of Groundhog Day\u201d and more, as well as fun games and activities including a make-your-own Groundhog Hat station (1st floor). For kids six and under there will be a special Storytime called \u201cAnimals in Winter\u201d at 10:30 a.m. and Meet the Animals at 11:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m. in Windows on the World (3rd floor).<\/p>\n
For more information about Groundhog Day, contact Bradley Allf at Bradley.Allf@naturalsciences.org<\/a>\u00a0or 919.707.9890. The shadow ceremony will be held in the Museum\u2019s WRAL 3D Theater in case of inclement weather.<\/p>\n The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (11 W. Jones St. and 121 W. Jones St.) in downtown Raleigh, is the state’s most visited cultural attraction. It is an active research institution that engages visitors of every age and stage of learning in the wonders of science and the natural world, drawing them into the intriguing fields of study that are critical to the future of North Carolina. Hours: Mon.- Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sun., noon-5 p.m. Admission is free, however donations are appreciated and accepted. Visit the Museum on the Web at www.naturalsciences.org<\/a>. Emlyn Koster, PhD, Director; Susi H. Hamilton, Secretary<\/em>, <\/strong>N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources; Roy Cooper, Governor.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13139,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/13138"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/13138\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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