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As Groundhog Day looms, Punxsutawney Phil prepares for his annual prognostication, but he’s not the only furry forecaster vying for weather wisdom.
Phil, the reigning king of groundhogdom, will emerge from his burrow on Sunday, February 2, to deliver his 139th verdict.
This time-honored tradition, a relic of German heritage, has evolved into a spectacle, attracting thousands to Phil’s home in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania, and millions more glued to their screens.
The annual event is a tongue-in-cheek ritual in which Phil’s handlers reveal whether the groundhog has seen his shadow – ushering in six more weeks of winter weather – or has not, presaging early spring-like weather.
Phil, however, faces a formidable challenge from a host of competitors, each eager to steal his thunder with their own unique brand of spectacle.
This year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has ranked the accuracy of Phil and 18 of his critter rivals based on strict criteria – they must have been prognosticating for at least 20 years and they must be active prognosticators as of February 2, 2024.
Out of 19 groundhogs and Phil was ranked 17th with a 35 percent prediction success.
So who else is he up against?
As Groundhog Day looms, Punxsutawney Phil (pictured) prepares for his annual prognostication, but he’s not the only furry forecaster vying for weather wisdom
Staten Island Chuck (pictured) boasts an 85 percent accuracy rate, leaving Phil in the dust with his 35 percent percent
Staten Island Chuck
Staten Island Chuck, Phil’s fiercest rival, casts a long shadow over Punxsutawney. This New York-based prognosticator boasts an 85 percent accuracy rate, leaving Phil in the dust with his 35 percent percent, according to NOAA.
Chuck’s reign of meteorological supremacy is no fluke. Following his predictions, the diligent staff at the Staten Island Zoo meticulously monitor the weather for two months, counting every glorious day above 40 degrees to ensure Chuck’s predictions are accurate.
General Beauregard Lee has an accuracy rate of 80 percent
General Beauregard Lee
General Beauregard Lee, Georgia’s esteemed weather prognosticator, carries a hefty historical legacy.
Named after Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and P.G.T. Beauregard, ‘Beau’ took over the role from his predecessor in 1991.
According to NOAA, General Beauregard Lee has an accuracy rate of 80 percent.
The Dauset Trails Nature Center, however, claims Beau’s accuracy is even higher -reportedly in the 90 percent range.
Beau’s previous home at Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary in Gwinnett County closed in 2017, but he’s been thriving in his new digs ever since.
Residing in the aptly named Weathering Heights, a charming Antebellum-style mansion at Dauset Trails Nature Center, Beau enjoys the finer things in life, particularly the culinary delights of Waffle House, where hash browns are his preferred delicacy.
Gertie, the esteemed meteorologist of Wildlife Prairie State Park, Illinois, has an accuracy rate of 65 percent
Gertie the Groundhog
Gertie, the esteemed meteorologist of Wildlife Prairie State Park, Illinois, has been charming the state since 1993.
From her cozy chalet, this furry forecaster predicts the arrival of spring, her pronouncements accompanied by the stirring strains of ‘Wake-Up Gertie,’ the original hit song penned by local bard Barry Cloyd.
Gertie is a true celebrity, inspiring a children’s book that chronicles her valiant quest to become the undisputed champion of groundhog prognostication.
While her accuracy rate may hover around 65 percent according to NOAA, Gertie’s unwavering dedication to her craft and undeniable charisma have cemented her place as an Illinois icon.
Jimmy, who is Phil’s biggest rival, boasts an accuracy rate of 60 percent
Jimmy the Groundhog
For over 75 years, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, has proudly claimed its title as the ‘World Headquarters of the Groundhog’ with its groundhog Jimmy, sparking headlines, chuckles, and rivalries from Congress to Pennsylvania coalfields.
Jimmy, who is Phil’s biggest rival, boasts an accuracy rate of 60 percent, according to NOAA.
The tradition began in 1948 when an artist linked Sun Prairie to Groundhog Day for a whimsical postcard series. Postmaster Margaret McGonigle seized the idea, founding the Sun Prairie Groundhog Club- a society of February-born ‘groundhogs’ and ‘woodchucks’.
The 4-H-led festivities grew with live groundhogs, potent ‘Moose Milk,’ and antics like stuffed groundhog weddings and even a lunar ‘mission’.
The Punxsutawney groundhogs have met Sun Prairie’s claims with a mix of good-natured ribbing and playful jabs.
Their annual shadow-spotting contest has become a delightful spectacle of friendly (and sometimes not-so-friendly) competition, with both sides vying for bragging rights and a place in American folklore.
Woodstock Willie (pictured) boasts a 60 percent success rate for his weather predictions
Woodstock Willie
Phil Connors would likely shudder at the thought, but next on the list of weather-predicting prognosticators is Woodstock Willie.
Residing in the very town that taught us the existential dread of temporal loops, this groundhog boasts a 60 percent success rate according to NOAA – a bit like flipping a coin, but with more fur.
Willie, whose given name is the decidedly less punny Wendy, was originally enlisted to inject a dose of absurdity into the bleak midwinter.
As Woodstock Groundhog Days chairman Rick Bellairs eloquently put it to CBS News, ‘It’s just something silly to do in the middle of winter. Christmas and the holidays are behind us, and spring is yet to come.’
Not to mention, Willie is a trailblazer for groundhog prognosticators as she is the only female groundhog in the competition – a true pioneer for women’s rights.
Buckeye Chuck (pictured) boasts an accuracy rate of 55 percent
Buckeye Chuck
In the Buckeye State, all eyes will be on Buckeye Chuck as he takes center stage at the Marion County Fairgrounds. This Ohioan icon, whose stage name belies his true identity as Murray, will deliver his weather prognostication to a cheering crowd of hundreds.
And he boasts an impressive accuracy rate of 55 percent, according to NOAA.
Chuck’s rise to fame began humbly. A radio host, Charlie Evers, discovered this charismatic groundhog near the station and, with the help of local schoolchildren, bestowed upon him the fitting moniker ‘Buckeye Chuck.’
In 1979, Ohio officially recognized his prophetic powers, cementing his place in state legislation.
Today, Murray resides at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, a testament to his unique charm. While his comfort around humans precludes a return to the wild, he embraces his celebrity status.
Daily, he willingly enters his travel carrier, a testament to his professionalism and dedication to the craft of weather forecasting.
‘It’s all up to Murray whether or not he participates,’ Jim Nemet, the museum’s director of wildlife, told Cleveland 13 News. ‘If we open the door and he sees 300 people and decides not to come out, we won’t force him.’
Nemet also added that Buckeye Chuck receives positive reinforcement throughout this high-stakes process.
Celebrities. They’re just like us.
Filbert the Beaver he has yet to be right about any of his predictions
Honorable Mention: Filbert the Beaver
Phil’s next rival might not be in the same league – or even the same genus – but he’s not one to burn bridges. Quite the opposite – he builds them.
Enter Filbert the beaver, born at the zoo in 2011, and his lodge-mate Maple. Together, they’ve amassed thousands of fans on the zoo’s social media, where their relentless wood-gathering skills have earned them the cheeky title of ‘branch managers’.
Stumptown Fil, the Oregon Zoo’s resident beaver, eschews the traditional shadow-gazing method in favor of a more scholarly approach to weather forecasting. This unconventional prognosticator selects between two scrolls to determine the fate of spring.
Filbert assumed the mantle of weather predictor in 2020. While he has yet to be right about any of his predictions, his undeniable charm more than makes up for it, according to That Oregon Life.
Filbert is also an experienced research assistant: In 2015, he helped Oregon State University with its Beaver Genome Project.
Oregon’s beaver population, once decimated by the fur trade, has made a remarkable comeback thanks to conservation efforts. Once hunted to near-extinction in the 19th century, these industrious engineers are now thriving, thanks to re-establishment programs and habitat restoration initiatives.
Metro, the regional government, has played a crucial role, restoring over 90 miles of waterways, ensuring healthy ecosystems for beavers and other wildlife.
So, the next time you encounter a beaver, remember to give a dam about the importance of conservation.
Fun Facts
Groundhogs, the eastern relatives of marmots, are masters of energy conservation. During their long winter hibernation, these furry forecasters lower their body temperature to near-freezing levels and slow their heart rate to an incredible three beats per minute.
To survive the cold months, groundhogs rely on fat reserves they carefully stockpile during summer and fall, often doubling their body weight in preparation.
In Minnesota, groundhogs- often called woodchucks – stay in their burrows until late March or early April. Once they emerge, they feast on insects, plants, fruits, vegetables, and the occasional bird egg. Expert diggers, they can excavate a 5-foot tunnel in a single day. Their intricate burrows include separate chambers for hibernation, raising young, and even a bathroom. After mating in early spring, females give birth to four to six pups in May.
When venturing above ground with their kits – or ‘chucklings’ – mother groundhogs emit a sharp whistle to warn of danger, earning them the nickname ‘whistlepig’.
While there’s no scientific proof that a groundhog’s shadow can predict the weather on Groundhog Day, these charming creatures provide a welcome dose of humor and fun as we await the arrival of spring.
