Maine’s Clawsome Weather Lobster ‘Passy Pete’, Weighs In on Winter

Predicting the weather is important business.

You can hunt down just about any source for predicting the weather. In Maine, we choose all sorts of different methods. In other places, they have their own methods too. For instance, almost everybody has heard of Punxsutawney Phil, the world famous groundhog that everyone looks forward to hearing from in the late winter.

But here in Maine, the Farmer's Almanac can step aside, because we have Belfast's Passy Pete. He's pulled from the ocean at the end of every summer by the Belfast Barons, who are basically a handful of residents who don't want summer to end. So Passy Pete, the anti-groundhog as they call him, chooses a scroll.

This is the important part...

Depending on which scroll Passy Pete chooses, the prediction is made when that scroll is read out loud at the ceremony, according to WABI. Much like Punxsutawney Phil, Passy Pete's prediction determines our outcome for summer, and this year it isn't looking so good. He chose the scroll that says winter is on it's way.

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We'll just set aside that it's Maine and that winter is always going to come. What's really great about this, is that it's such a cool community event. Sure, it hasn't caught on to the likes of the world's most famous groundhog, but it does give us one more reason to wish summer was a little longer. By the way, Passy Pete is named after the Passagassawakeag River, that flows into Belfast Bay.

The really cool news, is that Passy Pete lives on to see another day every year. He's never made into lunch for the crowd, as he's always tossed back into the briny deep from which he came. Until next year when he comes back to make predictions again. If you want to see the event, scope this video.

If you want to eat lobster instead of letting it ruin your winter...