Punxsutawney Phil vs Yahdee? Whose Groundhog Day Prediction is Right?

Yahdee and Lee predicted six more weeks of winter on Groundhog Day at Wehr's Dam in South Whitehall.

Groundhog Day Preview: Will Yahdee See his Shadow?

Forget Punxsutawney Phil. On Saturday, Feb. 2, Lehigh Valley "groundhogs" Yahdee and Lee will appear in South Whitehall again to make a prognostication.

  Will Yahdee the "groundhog" see his shadow this year? Punxsutawney has its Phil, but in the Lehigh Valley, Groundhog Day belongs to Yahdee (who has seen a taxidermist) and his grandson Lee (a puppet.) For the sixth time in seven years, Grundsau Lodge No. 16, formed to preserve the language and traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch, will host a Groundhog Day event near Wehr's Dam in South Whitehall. Festivities will get under way at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2, with men in top hats, the "groundhogs," and songs sung in Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. Yahdee and Lee will float on a raft (or sled if the creek freezes) 150 feet down Jordan Creek toward Wehr's dam, then Lee will be brought on land and whisper a prediction to the lodge's president. …

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Groundhogs Yahdee and Lee Say Early Spring

The stuffed groundhog and puppet made their forecast on an overcast Groundhog Day at Wehr's dam.

The "groundhogs" have spoken. After a trip down the Jordan Creek in South Whitehall, Yahdee and Lee whispered to their handlers what everyone was hoping to hear -- Spring is around the corner! But don't plant your garden too early, they said. They predicted that the Lehigh Valley will see some snow and ice before Spring's early arrival. In keeping with Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, Grundsau Lodge No. 16 in Orefield hosted the Groundhog Day event at 7 a.m. along the Jordan Creek. Spectators and media crews were on hand as members of the lodge, some in top hats, sang in Pennsylvania Dutch and awaited the prognostication. Not to undermine Punxsutawney Phil, but Yahdee and Lee's prediction differed from that famous groundhog's prediction. Lee …

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Mild Temperatures Predicted for Groundhog Day

Temperatures are expected to be in the 40s on Groundhog Day as Yahdee and Lee take their trip down Jordan Creek and make their prognostication.

Looks like "groundhogs" Yahdee and Lee will be in a raft, rather than on a sled, on Thursday, Feb. 2 -- Groundhog Day -- when they take their trip down Jordan Creek to Wehr's dam and make their prognostication on Spring. Mother Nature is expected to cooperate this year as Grundsau Lodge No. 16, formed to preserve the traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch, hosts its Groundhog Day event at 7 a.m. at Wehr's dam at Covered Bridge Park, South Whitehall. According to the National Weather Service, it will be cloudy, with highs near 47 degrees. There is a slight chance of rain, but not until 10 a.m. Patch told you earlier this week about the Groundhog Day event, which will feature songs in Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. The big attractions are "…

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Forget Phil, Lehigh Valley Has Its Own Groundhogs

Go to Wehr's Dam in South Whitehall on Groundhog Day to see what groundhogs Yahdee and Lee have to say about spring's arrival.

You don't have to travel to Punxsutawney to get a groundhog's take on when spring will arrive. For the fifth time in six years, Wehr's Dam in South Whitehall will be the backdrop for a local Groundhog Day event -- complete with men in top hats and "groundhogs" making a prognostication. Grundsau Lodge No. 16, one of several in the area that was formed to preserve the language and traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch, will again host its Groundhog Day event on Thursday, Feb. 2, along Jordan Creek in the township. Yahdee (who has seen a taxidermist) and "grandson" Lee will sled or float 150 feet down Jordan Creek on a raft toward Wehr's dam, then Lee (um, a groundhog puppet) will be brought on land and whisper the prediction to the lodge's …

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