Groundhog Staten Island Chuck predicts early spring for eighth year in a row
Bring on the warm weather ... again!
New York’s favorite whiskered weatherman Staten Island Chuck crept out of his burrow Thursday morning and didn’t see his shadow, predicting an early spring — as he has for the last eight years running.
As the legend goes, if a groundhog emerges from its hole on Feb. 2, Groundhog Day, and sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather rather than early spring temperatures.
With an 80% accuracy rate, Staten Island Chuck claims the highest success rate in the entire country, organizers said, although his predictions sometimes conflict with those of his rival, Pennsylvania prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil.
Indeed, on Tuesday, Punxsutawney Phil once again disagreed with Chuck and predicted six more weeks of winter.
For the second year in a row, Mayor Adams opted against attending the Groundhog Day celebration but sent a video message encouraging Chuck to predict an early Spring.
“Like a true New Yorker, Staten Island Chuck is ready to spring into action to do his duty,” Adams said. “Chuck please don’t see your shadow!”
City mayors traditionally attended Groundhog Day predictions until 2014, when former Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped Chuck, who at the time was played by a 10-month-old female groundhog named Charlotte.
Charlotte died of “internal injuries” a week later, zoo officials said.
For the last three years, the Staten Island Zoo’s Groundhog Day celebrations were done virtually due to COVID.
This year a small gathering of warm-weather well-wishers, mostly politicians and students, flocked to the Staten Island Zoo to see the prediction live, though the event was closed to the public.
