Groundhog in Boulder has a yellow-bellied groundhog

Boulder’s Groundhogs Day, February 2, is today!

1. Are there even groundhogs in Boulder? Well, sort of., but with an important Colorado twist:

Pennsylvania Colorado doesn’t really have “groundhogs” like Boulder does. But neither is Punxsutawne Phil!!!
The classic Groundhog Day animal (Punxsutawney Phil) is a woodchuck, a type of marmot common in the eastern U.S.

Woodchucks are not native to Colorado.

2. Boulder does have marmots — the Rocky Mountain “groundhog cousins”
   What we have all around Boulder, Chautauqua, and the foothills are yellow-bellied marmots.

These are large, ground-dwelling rodents that:

• live in burrows
• hibernate in winter
• pop out in spring
• whistle loudly when alarmed
• look very much like groundhogs to most people

They are extremely common in the Boulder foothills and in Rocky Mountain National Park.

3. Flatirons Freddie is actually a marmot!!!
   Boulder’s Groundhog Day mascot, Flatiron Freddy, is a yellow-bellied marmot, not an eastern groundhog.

The City of Boulder itself calls him a “top-hat wearing marmot meteorologist.”

KUNC also describes Freddie as a taxidermied marmot. 

4. So are there “groundhogs” in Boulder?
   In plain language: yes, we have the local equivalent.

More precisely:

• No native woodchucks
• Yes, lots of marmots — the Rocky Mountain version of a groundhog

• Shadow seen (sunny day)
  The groundhog gets “scared,” goes back into its burrow, and that supposedly means we have about six more weeks of winter.

• No shadow (cloudy day)
  The groundhog stays out, and that supposedly means an early spring is coming.

Flatirons Freddie! Because of course we do. We have a “top-hat wearing marmot meteorologist.”

Boulder doesn’t just borrow a holiday and copy it. Boulder adopts it, adds mountain light, sprinkles in a little local charm, and then lets a groundhog become a minor celebrity for a day.

A Tradition With Old Roots

Groundhog Day goes back a long way, long before memes and morning streaming coverage.

The tradition traces to Candlemas Day, an old European holiday marking the midpoint between winter and spring. German settlers brought with them the idea that an animal’s shadow could predict the season ahead.

In Germany, it was often a hedgehog. In America, we upgraded to a groundhog.

yellow bellied groundhog

By the late 1800s, Punxsutawney Phil became the official weather rodent of the nation, emerging every February 2nd to look for his shadow and deliver the verdict:

More winter… or an early spring.

Science? Not exactly. Fun? Absolutely. 

Enter Flatirons Freddie

Boulder’s answer to Phil is Flatirons Freddie, our own local kindness groundhog ambassador.

Freddie is part mascot, part mountain-town joke, part seasonal ritual.More importantly, Freddie is more marmot than groundhog. SO WHAT??

He represents that uniquely Boulder blend of:

Nature
Community
Playfulness
And just enough weirdness to make it memorable

Freddie’s “forecast” is less about meteorology and more about optimism.

• Shadow seen (sunny day)
  The groundhog gets “scared,” goes back into its burrow, and that supposedly means we have about six more weeks of winter.

• No shadow (cloudy day)
  The groundhog stays out, and that supposedly means an early spring is coming.
  Because in Boulder, winter is never just winter.
  
  It’s sunrise hikes in crisp air. It’s snow dusting the Flatirons like powdered sugar.
  It’s the promise that spring is coming, even if it takes its sweet time.
  
  Freddie’s Boulder Origin Story
  
  Flatirons Freddie grew out of Boulder’s love for local celebrations and outdoor life.
  
  While Phil has Gobbler’s Knob, Freddie has the Flatirons.
  
  Boulder has long embraced the idea of marking seasonal change with community events, and Groundhog Day became another excuse to gather, smile, and remember that the wheel of the year keeps turning.
  
  Freddie isn’t about competing with Punxsutawney. 
  He’s about giving Boulder its own character in the tradition.
  
  A little Front Range humor.
  A little mountain spirit.

• NOAA’a actual science is a little different.  Simply put, betting against Phil is a good bet. 

• Great question, Lensworth. NOAA’s view is basically:

  Groundhog Day is fun folklore, not reliable forecasting.

  Here’s what NOAA actually says and does:

  1. NOAA keeps score, and Phil isn’t very accurate
     NOAA has analyzed Punxsutawney Phil’s track record and finds his predictions are only about 35% accurate over the past 20 years. (NOAA)

  That’s worse than a coin flip.

  2. NOAA treats it as tradition, not science
     NOAA even publishes cheerful articles “grading” the various groundhogs, but it’s more of a public-fun seasonal feature than any meteorological endorsement. (NOAA)

  3. The shadow has nothing to do with meteorology
     The shadow simply reflects whether the morning is sunny or cloudy — not a true predictor of February–March weather patterns.

  4. NOAA’s real forecasts come from climate models
     When NOAA issues actual seasonal outlooks, they are based on ocean temperatures, atmospheric circulation, ENSO patterns (El Niño/La Niña), and decades of data — not rodents. (NOAA)

  Bottom line
  NOAA enjoys the tradition, but scientifically, Groundhog Day is entertainment. Phil is lovable, but not a forecaster.

  So bet against the marmot and you’re right 70% of the time. GREAT odds!!!

  
  Shared Knowledge Is Power!

         Lenny “Lensworth” Frieling   Lensworth has published his first book of photos.

Lenny Frieling Pen Of Justice

• Multi-published and widely syndicated blogger and author.
• Most recently published by Amazon, his first book, "Lensworth"a book of his prize-winning photos.
• University lectures at University of Colorado, Boulder, Denver University Law School, Univ. of New Mexico, Las Vegas NM, and many other schools at all levels. Numerous lectures for the NORML Legal Committee
• Former Judge
• Media work, including starring in episodes of Fox’s Power of Attorney, well in excess of many hundreds media interviews, appearances, articles, and podcasts, including co-hosting Time For Hemp for two years.
• Life Member, NORML Legal Committee, Distinguished Counsel Circle.
• Photographer of the Year, AboutBoulder 2023
• First Chair and Originator of the Colorado Bar Association’s Cannabis Law Committee, a National first.
• Previous Chair, Boulder Criminal Defense Bar (8 years)
• Twice chair Executive Counsel, Colorado Bar Association Criminal Law Section
• Life Member, Colorado Criminal Defense Bar
• Board Member Emeritus, Colorado NORML, and prior chair during legalization, as well as pre and post legalization
• Chair, Colorado NORML, 7 years including during the successful effort to legalize recreational pot in Colorado
• Senior Counsel Emeritus to the Boulder Law firm Dolan + Zimmerman LLP : (720)-610-0951
• Board member, Author, and Editor for Criminal Law Articles for the Colorado Lawyer, primary publication of the Colorado Bar Assoc. 7 Years, in addition to having 2 Colorado Lawyer cover photos, and numerous articles for the Colorado Lawyer monthly publication.
• http://www.Lfrieling.com