This story originally appeared in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 1954, with the headline “Groundhog Dies Before Making Annual Forecast.”

The groundhog dropped dead yesterday, but it wasn’t because of the balmy weather.

The groundhog was caged in Capitol Square so everybody could watch him make his annual Groundhog Day weather prediction. But he killed himself trying to get out of his cage at the State Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Hardly taking notice of his amateur competitor, the Byrd Field weatherman called for rather cloudy weather today, with a chance of a light shower. The high should be near 60.

Tonight, he said, will be cloudy and turning colder, with a low in the lower 30’s. Thursday should be cloudy and colder too, with a high in the upper 40’s.

He predicted rain, totally .1 to .3 inch, over the week end.

Today probably won’t be quite as warm as yesterday when the mean temperature of 53 was 13 degrees above normal for the date.