What did Georgia groundhog predict? General Beauregard Lee history and weather prediction explored

Georgia's groundhog, General Beauregard Lee, has made its call for Groundhog Day, and it may not be what everyone was hoping for.

The meteorological groundhog, which, as some might put it, maybe more accurate, has predicted an additional six weeks of winter. The prediction came from General Beauregard Lee, or Beau for short. He issued the prediction at 7:30 a.m. EST on Sunday morning, February 2, given that he saw his shadow.

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Everything we know about General Beauregard Lee's prediction and his accuracy rate

General Beauregard Lee is one of several groundhogs to deliver his prediction on Groundhog Day, including Buckeye Chuck in Ohio and Staten Island Chuck in New York. The most famous of the lot is, however, Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania.

The Dauset Trails National Center live-streamed General Beauregard Lee's forecast on its Facebook Page, and they have since announced the same in a statement:

"Looks like I've spotted my shadow! Time to snuggle back into my burrow for 6 more weeks of winter. Stay warm, everyone!"

11 Alive has reported that by the NOAA tracking, General Beauregard Lee's accuracy clocks in at 80%, substantially more than Punxsutawney Phil. Last year, he declared an early spring, and in 2019, he predicted a long winter. As reported by the outlet, those at Dauset Trails National Center issued a statement on his behalf:

"I love pool parties and swimming and getting a tan, but I also love ice fishing, hot chocolate and making a snowman. We've had snow from here to the beach, it's been an interesting winter for this Georgia peach... I know you're ready for warmth and cheer, but you've got to hang on just a little longer my dear. I'm not joking, or kidding, or making a bluff -- six more weeks of the wintry stuff. This prediction I make with my little paw -- six more weeks of winter, for my shadow I saw."

Beau has been predicting Georgia's weather since 1991, having succeeded another groundhog named General Robert E. Lee, whose tenure ran from 1981. Beau is housed at the Dauset Trails Nature Center in Jackson, Georgia, though before this, he stayed at the Yellow River Game Ranch in Gwinnett County, Georgia. He was relocated when it closed down in 2017.

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Groundhog Day is celebrated every February 2, and while its exact origins remain unknown, some say it took root in Germany. The first Groundhog Day ceremony took place in 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.