When is Groundhog Day 2024? What to know about Punxsutawney Phil, Buckeye Chuck

Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read
Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 137th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. Phil's handlers said that the groundhog has forecast six more weeks of winter.
Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 137th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. Phil's handlers said that the groundhog has forecast six more weeks of winter.

Tired of winter weather? You had better hope this famous rodent doesn't see his shadow.

Next week, the country will welcome the return of the beloved Pennsylvania groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, who, legend has it, will determine whether we should bundle up for six more weeks of winter or prepare for an early spring.

Here's what you should know about Groundhog Day 2024.

What is Groundhog Day?

Groundhog Day is rooted in the Christian holiday Candlemas, the midway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. During Candlemas, Christians would light candles to predict how long winter would last.

The first official Groundhog Day was held Feb. 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. According to History.com, we can thank newspaper editor Clymer Freas for the special day, as he and a group of groundhog hunters declared a groundhog from the town as the official predictor.

Today, the ceremony is organized by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, which also cares for the groundhog year-round.

Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 137th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. Phil's handlers said that the groundhog has forecast six more weeks of winter.
Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 137th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. Phil's handlers said that the groundhog has forecast six more weeks of winter.

When is Groundhog Day 2024?

Groundhog Day occurs each year on Feb. 2. This year, Groundhog Day falls on a Friday.

Groundhog Day is not a federal holiday, so banks, mail and trash services, schools, grocery stores, federal offices, local governments, libraries and stock markets will be open. But in Punxsutawney, celebrations featuring talent shows, banquets and performances are held to commemorate the day.

What does it mean if the groundhog sees its shadow?

In theory, if Phil sees his shadow, we can expect six more weeks of winter weather. If Phil doesn't see his shadow, we can expect an early spring.

Last year, the groundhog predicted a longer winter.

But how accurate are Phil's predictions? The Stormfax Weather Almanac says the groundhog is only correct about 39% of the time. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Phil was only right 40% of the time between 2012 and 2021.

Murray is a 1-year-old groundhog donated to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. He is Ohio's "Buckeye Chuck," the animal tasked with predicting the forecast on Groundhog Day.
Murray is a 1-year-old groundhog donated to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. He is Ohio's "Buckeye Chuck," the animal tasked with predicting the forecast on Groundhog Day.

Are there other animal forecasters?

Phil and Chuck aren't the only animal meteorologists. Critters ranging from an armadillo to a rattlesnake are expected to predict the weather this February.

Here are some of the other animal forecasters:

  • Alabama's Smith Lake Jake (groundhog).

  • Alabama's Sand Mountain Sam (possum).

  • Arizona's Agua Fria Freddie (rattlesnake).

  • Georgia's Gen. Beauregard Lee (groundhog).

  • Louisiana's Cajun Groundhog (groundhog).

  • New York's Staten Island Chuck (groundhog).

  • North Carolina's Sir Walter Wally (groundhog).

  • Ohio's Buckeye Chuck (groundhog).

  • Texas' Bee Cave Bob (armadillo).

  • West Virginia's French Creek Freddie (groundhog).

  • Wisconsin's Jimmy (groundhog).

Will Buckeye Chuck predict Ohio's weather this year?

Ohio's weather-predicting groundhog Buckeye Chuck will emerge from his burrow in Marion, Ohio, on Feb. 2 for Groundhog Day. Like Phil, if Buckeye Chuck sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow, prepare for an early spring.

Clare Mulroy contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: When is Groundhog Day? Here's what the groundhog's shadow means