Environment

Groundhog Day: Staten Island Chuck, Buckeye Chuck Predict Spring

by Jordan Yerman | February 2, 2010 at 07:15 am

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Did the groundhog see his shadow for 2010? Depends on which groundhog you ask. Punxsutawney Phil, who some claim to be the only true weather-predicting groundhog, saw his shadow, and thus predicts six more weeks of winter. However, Staten Island Chuck, New York City's own weather groundhog, says that spring is on the way. As if to drive the point home, he celebrated Groundhog Day 2010 by not Mayor Bloomberg's hand. Buckeye Chuck and General Beauregard Lee concur.

Buckeye Chuck is Marion, Ohio's groundhog. Well, they probably have more than one, but Buckeye Chuck is the one that predicts the weather, and he's siding with Staten Island Chuck, and disagreeing with Punxsutawney Phil. Buckeye Chuck is awfully optimistic, making his prediction on snowy ground. Optimism is a good quality for a groundhog, though. Wisconsin's Jimmy the Groundhog also predicts spring. Georgia's General Beauregard Lee is also calling for Spring. So, Groundhog Day 2010 predicts Spring, by split decision.

Of these three groundhogs, though, I think that Punxsutawney Phil's have the best group name: The Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, complete with handmen's gloves, managed to coax the reluctant groundhog out from his home.

The mayor says Chuck did not see his shadow – meaning an early spring for us this year.