By February 2, 2021 - 12:34 pm French Creek Freddie emerged to fresh snow on the ground at the W.Va. Wildlife Center in Upshur County on Groundhog Day along with gloomy, overcast skies FRENCH CREEK, W.Va. — West Virginia’s official groundhog predicts an early spring. At the West Virginia Wildlife Center, handlers opened up the burrow of French Creek Freddie on Tuesday’s groundhog day to let him emerge from his hibernation for a look around. Looking a tad groggy, the groundhog stepped out into a winter scene with snow on the ground, but cast no shadow during this emergence. By tradition, the lack of a shadow should mean an early spring.