Buckeye Chuck prediction on Groundhog Day will be live in person, online and on radio
Groundhog Day is almost here, again.
Those interested in watching Ohio's weather-forecasting groundhog live on Friday, Feb. 2, are welcome to do so both in-person and through a Facebook video. The event will also be broadcast on the radio.
Buckeye Chuck, the state's official weather-predicting rodent, will emerge from his private den in Marion at 7 a.m. Friday, Feb. 2, in search of his shadow.
If it's a sunny morning and Buckeye Chuck sees his shadow, then winter will continue for the next six weeks. If it's too cloudy for shadows, then warm weather will certainly be on its way soon.
Buckeye Chuck will predict weather 7:40 a.m. Friday
The rodent's annual forecast announcement is a popular event for Marion residents, according to Chris Kelly, vice president of programming for iHeartMedia.
"There's a few hundred people," Kelly said. "Some years there's even more than that."
The event will take place at the studio of AM-1490 WMRN, 1330 N. Main St. in Marion. It will be broadcast live on the local station as well as iHeart smartphone app.
"We have parking out front," Kelly said. "They park at the church behind us. It's just, really, wherever you can find parking."
Buckeye Chuck is expected to make his announcement by about 7:40 a.m., rain or shine.
Anyone who plans to attend in-person should dress warm and bring an umbrella or raincoat.
Those who cannot attend but still want to take part can watch live through a video feed that will be available on the Buckeye Chuck Facebook Fan Page.
Who is more accurate, Buckeye Chuck or Punxsutawney Phil?
The practice of relying on hibernating animals for weather advice started in Europe sometime in the 1700s, according to a history compiled by the National Weather Service.
Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil began making predictions for the United States in the 1880s. Ohio's Buckeye Chuck joined the weather-forecasting circuit in the 1970s.
It's rumored that Buckeye Chuck has a nearly 75% success rate, while Punxsutawney Phil is right about 40% of the time. Records have been lost over the years, though, so it's hard to say exactly which woodchuck is more accurate.
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This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Buckeye Chuck or Punxsutawney Phil - Who's more accurate?
