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It’s 2025 but we still look to a rodent to tell us when spring will hit every year.
The odd-yet-charming tradition, carried out each February 2, has been around in the U.S. for about as long as the country has existed and even longer across the globe. It apparently stems from the European folk belief in the predictive powers of the late–winter emergence of hibernating creatures, according to NYC Parks.
So, here we are, watching closely to see if our own Charles G. Hogg, “Staten Island Chuck,” at the Staten Island Zoo rises to the occasion and predicts an early spring by not seeing his shadow. If he does, it means six more weeks of winter.
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So what did the groundhog predict for 2025 in New York?
Staten Island Chuck did NOT see his shadow, which means we should have an early spring.
Is the ground hog prediction accurate?
Chuck’s counterpart in Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil, reportedly saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. But luckily for us, Chuck is one of the most accurate groundhogs, with an 85% accuracy rate, according to groundhog-day.com, which is more than we can say for Phil, who has a 35% accuracy rate. Sorry, Phil.
You can watch the event below! Chuck is unveiled at 25:21 to the “Hamster Dance” song, but don’t expect him to come out dancing. The shy guy stays in his log house, blinking as if asking “we’re still doing this?”