Goundhog Day 2026: Here’s what the Texas animal prognosticators predicted

Bee Cave Bob makes his prediction on Groundhog Day

The famed armadillo Bee Cave Bob made his prediction about the future of winter and spring at an event in Texas on Groundhog Day -- which is called Armadillo Day in the Lone Star State.

BEE CAVE, Texas - While people up north turned to a groundhog to predict the weather Monday, people in the much warmer climes of Texas looked to animals of a different stripe.

Punxsutawney Phil, the famed Pennsylvania rodent, saw his shadow during the early morning hours of Groundhog Day and predicted six more weeks of winter.

Here’s a look at the predictions of some of the four-legged forecasters in Texas on Groundhog Day.

Bee Cave Bob

In the Central Texas town of Bee Cave, Groundhog Day is called Armadillo Day. That is where a nine-banded armadillo named Bob is charged with predicting the future of winter in the Lone Star State.

A crowd gathered in the town Monday to hear from the armored oracle.

"Old Bee Cave didn’t see his shadow," said Professor Al Manac, head of the Lone Star Weatherological Society. "So, we’re probably going to have three more weeks of winter, but nothing really cold."

Professor Al Manac, head of the Lone Star Weatherological Society, holds Bee Cave Bob during an Armadillo Day event in Bee Cave, Texas, on Feb. 2, 2026. (FOX 7 Austin)

Big Al

In the marshes of the Southeast Texas coast, people in Beaumont ask a 94-year-old, 14-foot-long alligator named Big Al to tell them what kind of weather to expect.

In a video posted on the Facebook page of the Gator Country Adventure Park, handlers tempted the 1,000-pound reptile with a Chick-Fil-A sandwich – and he bit, meaning an early spring.

Prairie Dog Pete

To foresee the weather, Lubbock also leans on a rodent – a prairie dog named Pete in Mackenzie Park.

Pete saw his shadow Monday, signaling more winter ahead.

Beans

In Buda, another Central Texas town, they turned to a dachshund named Beans to divine the weather. The honorary mascot of the self-proclaimed Wiener Dog Capital of Texas used squeaky toys to make a prediction.

"Beans did it!" the Greater Buda Chamber of Commerce posted on its Facebook page. "Our Honorary Ground Dog says an early spring is coming to Buda, Texas!"