AUSTIN, Texas – Every year on Feb. 2, Americans turn their eyes to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to see whether Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow. An often-unfulfilled promise that decides six more weeks of winter or early spring. 

In Texas, animal-based forecasts come with a Lone Star twist, from armadillos and alligators to prairie dogs and more. In the Lone Star State, Groundhog Day isn’t just about shadows on the ground, it’s a community event.

Tradition with a Lone Star Twist

A black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) (Photo by Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The backstory:

Groundhog Day is a tradition rooted in a 19th-century Pennsylvania superstition that says if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on Feb. 2, and sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks. If the groundhog does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early. 

The superstition has inspired a wide network of animal prognosticators across North America, but in Texas, locals have embraced unique forecasters and unorthodox weather-predicting methods that reflect the state’s wildlife and culture.

Bee Cave Bob

Bee Cave Bob is a nine-banded armadillo from Bee Cave, Texas, who has been providing a weather forecast on Feb. 2 since 2010. This Texas town refers to the event as Armadillo Day, instead of Groundhog Day. 

Photo courtesy: Bee Cave Bob on Facebook

During Bob’s annual appearance, he emerges from his burrow onto a concrete slab painted to resemble a highway. The armadillo’s behavior is then observed and interpreted to determine his weather prediction. If he sees his shadow, he will retreat and winter will go on for six more weeks. If Bob does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early. 

Bee Cave’s “Armadillo Day” celebration is organized by the Benevolent Knights of the Raccoon, a Texas-based group that hosts the semi-private ceremony that takes place at a ranch known as West Pole Ranch, located on Highway 71. The event invites Texans to the Hill Country to celebrate with barbecue, chili and tamales.

Big Al in Beaumont

Big Al is a 94-year-old, nearly 14-foot-long alligator that weighs over 1,000 pounds from Gator Country Adventure Park in Beaumont, Texas. The alligator has been providing a Feb. 2 weather prediction since 2006.

Photo courtesy of Gator Country Beaumont Texas’s Facebook page.

On Groundhog Day 2026 at 2 p.m. Big Al will be provided with a serving of food, typically meat of some kind. If the alligator takes a bite of the food, that means Texas will have an early Spring. If he does not eat, there will be a long winter.

Big Al’s handlers told the Beaumont Enterprise that alligators are unable to digest food unless warm weather is on the way. So during this time of the year, when temperatures drop, alligators are in a state similar to hibernation, known as brumation. While in brumation, alligators reduce their body temperature and heart rate, slow down their metabolism and don’t eat. Only drinking water to avoid dehydration.

Prairie Dog Pete in Lubbock

Prairie Dog Pete is a prairie dog ambassador located at Mackenzie Park in Prairie Dog Town in Lubbock, Texas. The prairie dog became such an asset and goodwill ambassador for the city that Lubbock adopted it as its mascot.

The City of Lubbock uses the prairie dogs at the park as prognosticators to predict the weather in one of two ways. Similar to Punxsutawney Phil, Pete either sees his shadow, meaning six more weeks of winter, or he does not see his shadow, indicating an early spring.

Pete’s forecasts in years past, have been done by choosing between celery or carrots as a method of predicting weather. If he chooses celery, that means six more weeks of winter. If he chooses the carrot, that means spring is on the way.

Wiener dogs in Buda

The Greater Buda Chamber of Commerce hosts their second annual Buda Ground Dog Day celebration at noon Feb. 1. A twist on the classic Groundhog Day, incorporating the city’s theme of wiener dogs, dating back to Buda’s inaugural competition in 1997 under the theme “The Amazing Wiener Dog.” 

Buda, the self-proclaimed Wiener Dog Capital of Texas, traditionally chooses an honorary dachshund dog that gives the weather prediction for the Buda City Park event. 

The honorary dachshund, Beans, will make the official prediction for the season ahead. Beans was selected as the honorary wiener dog for this year’s celebration during a random selection process on the city’s Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.

In 2025, the honorary wiener dog, Nacho, made the first ever Ground Dog Day forecast at the Buda Amphitheater and Pavilion. Nacho’s weather-predicting method relied on him choosing between a stuffed snowman and a sunshine plush, upon his highly anticipated release from a dog house.

City of Buda, TX — City Government’s Facebook post

Advertisement

AUSTIN, Texas – At the Pan American Neighborhood Park in East Austin, a sea of demonstrators joined together to protest ICE activity across the country.

East Austin ICE protest

An estimated 3,700 people RSVP’d to Saturday’s “Stop ICE” rally, held by State Rep. James Talarico. Featured alongside him were other elected officials, such as U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, and U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, who could be heard saying, “No more ICE terrorizing Minneapolis. No more ICE terrorizing Austin. No more!”

Besides officials, families who had been directly impacted by immigration enforcement also shared their experiences. Alongside her children, a woman named Evelyn spoke about how it’s been almost two months since she’s seen her husband after he was detained by immigration officials.

What they’re saying:

“ICE destroyed my family. It stole my husband from us, leaving us destitute. All my husband was doing that day, December 2nd, was getting gas to go to work. My husband is not a criminal,” Evelyn said through an interpreter.

Liam Ramos ordered to be released

Many eyes were still on Liam Ramos, a five-year-old detained alongside his father in Minnesota. The two are currently held at an immigration center in Dilley, Texas. At Saturday’s rally, Casar gave an update on his potential release.

“Austin, I’m glad to tell you that a judge has ordered Donald Trump to release Liam Ramos,” said Casar.

The ruling came from federal Judge Fred Biery, who on Saturday ordered the release of Liam Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, from the facility in Dilley. Per the order, the pair are to be released no later than Tuesday, Feb. 3.

“The case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children,” Biery said in the order.

Other ICE detainees

But for Castro, who visited the center last week with U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, their attention now shifts to the other children and families still held in ICE detainment.

“There was also a nine-year-old named Mateo from Austin, Texas,” Castro said. “He and his family we’re picked up on New Year’s Eve, and they spent New Year’s Eve getting processed into the Dilley Detention Center.”

And as their cause moves forward, Casar urged the people of Saturday’s rally to not lose hope.

“We cannot bring back Mr. Pretti or Ms. Good. But in honor of their memories, people are rising up to demand a better world. Austin, together, we can build it,” said Casar.

We started January with temperatures in the 70s and 80s during the first 10 days of the month. By mid-month, a couple of cold fronts moved through, bringing temperatures closer to seasonal averages in the 50s and 60s, with two days briefly reaching the low 70s. 

These two winter weather events are delivering frigid temperatures not only to Texas but across the Deep South as well, with some areas seeing snowfall from Florida to the Carolinas. In fact, this past week, Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle recorded colder temperatures than Juneau, the capital of Alaska.

Well, on Sunday a flight to Juneau would likely take you to warmer temperatures than Austin. 

In Juneau, temperatures on Sunday morning will be about 10 degrees warmer than their normal late January average of 24 degrees. Interestingly, they will also be seeing rain instead of snow in that region of the country because of the above-freezing temperatures. 

By comparison, a dry arctic cold front moved across Central Texas late in the week, and frigid air is now settling into the region. Temperatures are expected to fall into the low 20s by Sunday morning under clear skies and light winds. For a brief time, Austin will be colder than parts of Alaska on Sunday.

Here are four typically cold locations around the world where Austin will be just as cold, or even colder, on Sunday morning:

The weather pattern across the United States has become increasingly amplified, with surges of arctic air plunging south through the central Plains and into the eastern third of the country. To analyze this pattern, meteorologists examine the atmosphere from the top down.
In the upper atmosphere, where the jet stream flows, a classic ridge-and-trough pattern is visible, with the trough extending deep into Texas.

In the middle atmosphere, temperatures are well below freezing, with the freezing line reaching all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

In the lower atmosphere, we see actual surface temperatures across the country. The coldest air is concentrated over the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast.

Where temperatures are lowest and wintry precipitation is likely, the National Weather Service has issued numerous cold and winter weather alerts across the Southeastern United States.