Groundhog Day Chicago — ‘Woodstock Willie’ does not see his shadow, so early spring is on the way

The beloved critter, who makes his home in the northwest suburb where the classic Bill Murray movie was filmed, has “predicted” an early spring, according to official Groundhog Day lore.

Woodstock Willie has spoken.

Or, at least the lack of his shadow has.

It’s official: Spring will be here sooner than you can say Groundhog Day — or so the folklore goes.

On Friday morning, hundreds gathered at the town square in Northwest suburban Woodstock in the early morning hours to check out everyone’s local rock star groundhog — the aforementioned Willie — who determined our meteorological future in about 10 seconds, simply by not “seeing” his shadow.

Woodstock Mayor Mike Turner knocks on a tree stump, so the groundhog Woodstock Willie could predict whether spring would come early, during the Groundhog Day Prognostication event Friday in Woodstock Square in the northwest suburb. — Woodstock Mayor Mike Turner knocks on a tree stump Friday so the groundhog Woodstock Willie can predict whether spring will come early.

Handler Mark Szafran holds Woodstock Willie after announcing the animal predicted an early spring during the Groundhog Day Prognostication event Friday morning in Woodstock Square in the northwest suburb. — Handler Mark Szafran holds Woodstock Willie Friday after announcing that the animal predicted an early spring.

On hand for the festivities was beloved WGN-Channel 9 chief meteorologist Tom Skilling, attending his first Woodstock Groundhog Day event, according to the TV station’s report. Skilling will be retiring from his longtime weather post at the station Feb. 28.

To honor Skilling, Woodstock Mayor Mike Turner officially declared Friday “Tom Skilling Day” in addition to “Groundhog Day.”

Hundreds gather in Woodstock Square for the Groundhog Day Prognostication event Friday morning in the northwest suburb, where soon-to-retire WGN chief meteorologist Tom Skilling was the guest of honor. — Tom Skilling (at mic) was the guest of honor as hundreds gathered in Woodstock for the Groundhog Day prognostication event Friday morning.

Over in Pennsylvania, that other furry prognosticator, Punxsutawney Phil, also emerged “shadowless,” thus also heralding an early spring. The annual event there has taken place in Gobbler’s Knob for 138 years.

The Woodstock Groundhog Day celebration has been taking place since 1996, when local residents decided to recreate a scene from the 1993 Harold Ramis film starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, which was filmed in the suburban idyll (a substitute location for Punxsutawney). In the scene, people gather in the square as the “Pennsylvania Polka” is heard playing in the background over and over while media outlets arrive from places far and wide to document the proceedings.

That event morphed into an annual weekend festival that includes screenings of the movie, walking tours of film sites, groundhog bingo, a pancake breakfast, myriad souvenirs and more.

Hundreds gather in Woodstock Square for the Groundhog Day Prognostication event Friday morning in the northwest suburb. — Hundreds gather in Woodstock Square for the Groundhog Day prognostication event Friday morning in the northwest suburb.

According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, the whole idea of shadow-as-weather-predictor evolved from traditions brought to America by German settlers, adapted from the European holiday Candlemas Day. On Feb. 2, the faithful would have candles blessed to protect their homes from the harsh winter ahead. In Germany, the lore included the presence of a hedgehog, who, if he saw his shadow on Candlemas Day, would herald a “Second Winter” or six more weeks of bad weather.