If you're the groundhog-forecast believing type, Staten Island Chuck has a prediction for you.
New York's favorite forecasting rodent did not see his shadow and has declared an early spring.
The Staten Island Zoo groundhog, who is referred to formally as Charles G. Hogg, emerge from his burrow at Staten Island Zoo on Friday to make his prediction. And as the official groundhog meteorologist of New York City, his forecast is taken seriously.
Despite his high status in the Big Apple, Staten Island Chuck is not the only groundhog making predictions on Groundhog Day, which occurs annually on Feb. 2. There's also the more famous Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania, General Beauregard Lee in Georgia and Buckeye Chuck in Ohio.
Here's what to know about Staten Island Chuck, and his Groundhog Day prediction.
The Staten Island Zoo’s Facebook page livestreamed Chuck's prediction.
Staten Island Chuck, also known as Charles G. Hogg, is a groundhog living at the Staten Island Zoo in New York City. The Staten Island Groundhog Day prediction dates back to 1981, and according to the Staten Island Zoo, the resident groundhog has an 85% accuracy rate, much higher than his more famous counterpart, Punxsutawney Phil.
Chuck, however, has had his fair share of run-ins with New York's top brass.
In 2009, Staten Island Chuck bit the then-mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg.
In 2014, Staten Island Chuck was replaced by his granddaughter, Charlotte, who was dropped by then-mayor Bill de Blasio during the Groundhog Day ceremony. Charlotte died a few days later, although the zoo has said it was "unlikely" the groundhog's death was caused by the fall.
Last year, Staten Island Chuck predicted an early spring, a forecast he has made every year since 2015. The groundhog's prediction has differed from Punxsutawney Phil's forecast since 2021.
Groundhog Day is celebrated every February 2, the same day as Candlemas, where some of the holiday's traditions originate.
Candlemas was traditionally aligned with the anticipation of planting crops, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, and seeing sunshine on the day was said to indicate winter's return.
In Europe, people traditionally looked to bears or badgers to look for the sign of returning winter or coming spring, but when German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania, they instead used groundhogs to make the forecast instead.