Staten Island Chuck’s Prediction: Did He See His Shadow?

Staten Island Chuck, a groundhog in New York, predicted an early spring on Groundhog Day. Chuck, who has been making weather predictions since 1981, declared that winter would soon be over. His forecast was livestreamed on the Staten Island Zoo Facebook Page. Chuck has an 85% accuracy rate, higher than Punxsutawney Phil, who has a 39% accuracy rate. In 2014, Chuck was briefly replaced by his granddaughter, Charlotte, who tragically died a few days after being dropped by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio during the ceremony. Groundhog Day is celebrated on February 2nd, coinciding with the Christian festival of Candlemas. Europeans associated Candlemas with predicting the weather for the remainder of winter, using animals like hedgehogs. When German immigrants brought this tradition to America, the groundhog in Pennsylvania was chosen as the weather-predicting animal. Staten Island Chuck’s prediction for 2024 also called for an early spring. Overall, Groundhog Day is a festive occasion where various groundhogs across the country, including Chuck, General Beauregard Lee, and Punxsutawney Phil, emerge from their burrows to forecast the changing seasons.