Hey New York, get ready for sunshine, flowers, picnics and butterflies, because Staten Island Chuck—the city’s most adorable prognosticator—announced today that the Big Apple will have an early spring.
Staten Island Chuck, a celebrity groundhog who has fans around the world, did not see his shadow during the annual Groundhog Day ceremony at the Staten Island Zoo, West Brighton, this morning. According to tradition, if a groundhog sees his shadow upon waking up on Groundhog Day there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he doesn’t see it, spring will come early.
The fluffy forecaster made his prediction after emerging from his den in true groundhog fashion, scurrying adorably, eager to share his shadow news with New York. Chuck was undoubtedly the star of the show, but was flanked by several humans in attendance, including Fox Weather meteorologist, Nick Kosir.
“As an official meteorologist, my forecast today is mostly punny,” Kosir said, in reference to the unlimited jokes being made at Chuck’s expense. “By the way, has anyone heard any good Groundhog Day jokes? I keep hearing the same ones over and over.”
This is the first time the zoo has opened the event to the public since before the pandemic. The last public Groundhog Day ceremony at the zoo was in 2020. Hundreds of people braved the chilly and damp weather this morning to attend the event, which was sponsored by Citizens.
Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon, NYS Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and other elected officials were there to help Chuck announce his results. Students from P.S. 29 on Staten Island sang The Star-Spangled Banner and performed a special song for Chuck.
“Chuck and youngsters have a special relationship,” Staten Island Zoo executive director Ken Mitchell said. “Children regard Chuck as a celebrity character, and the zoo is working with local schools to use Groundhog Day as an educational opportunity to teach kids about weather science and animal adaptations.”
How accurate is Staten Island Chuck?
Chuck’s forecasts shouldn’t be taken with a grain of salt. The cute critter has been on the job since 1981 and has an impressive accuracy rate of 80%.
Patrick Raftery, who performed with his Rock-A-Silly Band at the ceremony, said Staten Island Chuck “represents what’s best about society,” and can give his industry colleagues a run for their money.
“I’d go so far as to say that he’s the Walter Cronkite of our era. The most trusted rodent in America,” Raftery said. “And that’s saying something. Because, let’s face it, guys like Sam Champion and Al Roker can’t hold a candle to Chuck. So when Chuck makes a prediction, do yourself a favor and believe it, because the dude knows weather, breathes weather, he lives for weather.”
Groundhog Day is usually a good time in New York City, but it doesn’t always go that way. That was the case in 2014 when former mayor Bill de Blasio dropped a female groundhog in 2014, leading to the animal’s death soon after.
What does Punxutawney Phil say?
Chuck’s rival across state lines is Punxsutawney Phil of Pennsylvania. The two groundhogs have a tumultuous history of throwing digs at each other because of conflicting weather reports, but this year, the two buck-toothed rodents are in agreement that spring will soon be here.
This also marks the first time since 2020 that Phil reported an early spring, according to USA Today.
This Weekend’s Forecast
Chuck’s solid reporting seems to be on par with this weekend’s forecast. New Yorkers can enjoy some sunny but chilly weather Saturday and Sunday, with minimal chance of precipitation on both days.
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