Um, I think there are always about six more weeks of Winter from Feb. 2 to the Vernal Equinox.
But it’s all fun.
I’d like to visit Punxsutawney and the Groundhog someday...
When is Congress should do something about this. This beast should not have control of our weather. Bill Gates should do that.
I hear they make for pretty good stew. I’ve only had raccoons and porcupines and marmots.. oh I forgot, chicken fried nutria ( when in Louisiana eat like you live there)
Groundhog Day 2023: Did Staten Island Chuck see his shadow?
By Isabel Keane
February 2, 2023 8:34am Updated
Staten Island Chuck is on a hot streak.
New York City’s “weatherhog” did not see his shadow early Thursday during the Staten Island Zoo’s annual Groundhog Day ceremony, signaling springtime is near.
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As the century-old tradition goes, had Chuck seen his shadow, New York City would be left with six more weeks of winter.
While the West Brighton ceremony was closed to the public, students from Susan Wagner High School — who will be tracking Chuck’s prediction — cheered on the plump prognosticator.
The small crowd burst into cheers as Chuck appeared.
One onlooker noted, “I don’t see a shadow.”
Chuck has an 80% accuracy rate in his predictions.
The crowd eagerly awaited Chuck’s prediction.
Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma
Others can be heard chiming in from a Facebook livestream of the event, yelling, “No shadow!”
Chuck has an impressive 80% accuracy rate in his predictions, according to the zoo’s board of trustees president William Frew.
His fellow prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil — with a mere 39% accuracy rate — spotted his shadow early Thursday, a sign of six more weeks of winter.
Regardless of Chuck’s prediction, New Yorkers should brace for frigid temperatures down in the single digits on Friday and Saturday.
Mayor Eric Adams did not attend the event like his predecessor, Bill de Blasio, who eventually began to skip the tradition after he infamously dropped Chuck’s 10-month-old stand-in, Charlotte, in 2014. Charlotte fell nearly six feet, and died of acute internal injuries a week later.
To play it safe, Adams sent in a pre-recorded message for the crowd from City Hall.
In place of Adams, Staten Island District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, Assemblyman Michael Tannousis, Councilman David Carr and Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks were in attendance and responsible for sharing Chuck’s forecast. This year’s event was livestreamed by the zoo, as it has since the start of the pandemic to prevent crowding.
Somewhere around 2003 to 2005 or so Punxsutawney Phil did not emerge from his Hutch... it was revealed later that he was in fact...dead. So... he did not even come out of his hut to look & I have no idea what that was interpreted to mean.
I kind of take note of a few things related to Almanac lore and this year I actually kept track so...
1. We had thunder in January which meant that we were going to have snow in a few days didn’t happen.
2. We had Cardinals show up in the yard which meant you had snow coming in 3 to 5 days did not happen.
There was one other thing but I can’t remember what it was but none of it happened so, my hypothesis is that Almanac lore is BS... but all in good fun.
I’ll go by a Southern Groundhog who is more predictive of our balmier climes than a Yankee variety.
Yeehah, Gen’ral Lee!