Sand Mountain Sam, a weather-forecasting possum that stars in a Groundhog's Day promotional event by the Albertville-based country radio station 105.1 WQSB, says Punxsutawney Phil got it wrong this morning and spring will come early.

Sam, which is actually a name given to the possum chosen from the wild each year to do the forecasting, arrived at WQSB this morning and was featured on the morning radio show.

Co-host Mary Bailey said unlike Phil, Sam did not see his shadow.

"This morning Sam did not see his shadow so of course we're going to have an early spring," Bailey said.

Bailey said Dee Miller with the company's Christian-music station is known as the "Possum Whisperer."

"Dee handles the possum. He talks to him and determines if he sees his shadow," she said. Since the event began in 1993, Sam has only been wrong one year, Bailey said.

In conjunction with Sand Mountain Sam's weather predictions, the station holds a Possum Queen contest who reads the annual proclamation from Sam. This year, Sardis High School senior Dayleigh Dorsett was crowned Possum Queen.