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Weather and the Winner!

By thevlm In Press Releases

Local Groundhog, Chesapeake Chuck makes the call!

Newport News, VA (February 2, 2022) – The Virginia Living Museum celebrates local ecosystems every day, and on Wednesday, February 2 Chesapeake Chuck will predict ours. WAVY-TV Meteorologist Jeremy Wheeler will host the 12th annual groundhog weather prediction as a Facebook Live event filmed outside in the Museum’s Wason Amphitheater.

The VLM Groundhog, Chesapeake Chuck, will base the Hampton Roads prediction on a shadow. That shadow will foretell an early spring or six more weeks of winter. The Virginia Living Museum groundhog is the official forecaster of weather in Hampton Roads, predicting the weather since 2011. Groundhogs (marmots) are an extremely intelligent animal forming complex social networks, able to understand social behavior, form kinship with their young, understand and communicate threats through whistling, and work cooperatively to solve tasks such as burrowing.

Newport News Vice Mayor Saundra Cherry, Museum Board of Trustees President Karen Velkey, Jeremy Wheeler and VLM Animal Welfare Senior Director, James Weinpress will preside. Deer Park Elementary School SCA and Blossom Club students will bear witness to the shadow or lack thereof.

As a fan of social behavior, Chuck has also found a calling in SuperBowl predictions. So far Chuck seems to favor Burrow with the Bengals for the win.

The Virginia Living Museum is a leader in natural living exhibits! Native Virginia mammals, plants, marine life, reptiles, amphibians, and birds are presented and honored for their ability to connect people to nature through educational experiences that promote conservation. An independent 501c3 organization, the Museum is a successful public/private partnership with the
City of Newport News and all guests. Accredited by both the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Alliance of Museums, the Museum’s high standards are its hallmark, as only fourteen institutions share this designation in the country. It is a certified Virginia Green attraction dedicated to environmentally friendly practices. Located at 524 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News (I-64, exit 258-A) it is open 9 to 5 daily. Facial coverings are encouraged during Museum visits. Learn more at thevlm.org, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or call 757-595-1900.