For Groundhog Day 2026, people across the nation will look to Pennsylvania for a prognostication on winter.
But in Boulder, they’re continuing an 18-year tradition with a forecast from another furry fellow.
Flatiron Freddy is an interesting ambassador for Groundhog Day. He's not technically a groundhog. He’s also not alive.
Freddy is a taxidermied yellow-bellied marmot - a species closely related to groundhogs. He came from Flagstaff Nature Center, a seasonal facility that stores its taxidermied mounts for the winter to protect them from damage.
City ranger Dave Gustafson says Freddy’s stint as Boulder’s seasonal soothsayer started after he wasn't put away properly and mice chewed him up, stealing fur from his back.
“That spring, when the staff found him, they went to throw him out in the dumpster,” Gustafson said. “And that's when us Rangers found him and thought about doing a Groundhog Day program."
Local kids have grown up with Freddy. That includes Gustafson's own daughters, who gave the marmot his trademark dapper look.
“They came up with the idea to make a little suit for him to cover up his wounds. So they're the ones that made the top hat and made the coat for him.”
Freddy has made his annual appearance in a variety of ways, including by driving a car or on a zip line.
Gustafson says Freddy is committed to his craft, year after year, even when things get tough.
“We found a note saying that he had gone out hiking that day,” he told KUNC. “We called the Rocky Mountain Rescue group. They called us back on the radio in front of the group and said, ‘We found him. He fell down and broke his arm.’ So he came around the corner with the rescue team carrying him.”
Freddy has also made his annual appearance riding a gondola, skiing, or in the claws of an eagle.
He’ll make this year’s prediction at the Chautauqua Ranger Cottage on Monday at 8 a.m.
Boulder will livestream the event on its YouTube channel.
