Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog and the most famous resident of
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. On February 2nd of each year, the
town of Punxsutawney celebrates the beloved groundhog with a
festive atmosphere of music and food. During the ceremony, which
begins well before the winter sunrise, Phil emerges from his
temporary home on Gobbler's Knob, located in a rural area about
2 miles east of town. According to the tradition, if Phil sees
his shadow and returns to his hole, the United States will
suffer six more weeks of winter. If Phil does not see his
shadow, spring will arrive early. The date of Phil's
prognostication is known as Groundhog Day in the United States
and Canada. During the rest of the year, Phil lives in the town
library with his "wife" Phyllis.
A club of Phil enthusiasts, known as the Punxsutawney Groundhog
Club, take care of the famed rodent year-round. A select group,
called the Inner Circle, also plan the annual ceremony. Members
of the Inner Circle are recognizable by their top hats and
tuxedos.
Staten Island Chuck
Staten Island Chuck is a groundhog who resides in the Staten
Island Zoo in Staten Island, New York in the United States. He
is noted as the official groundhog meteorologist of New York
City who predicts the duration of winter each February 2 on
Groundhog Day. He makes the prediction based on whether or not
he sees his shadow at 7:30 A.M. on Groundhog Day. The ceremony
at the zoo is often attended and officiated by the Mayor of New
York City.
The Staten Island Zoo claims that Chuck has correctly predicted
the duration of winter 80% of the time since the 1980s..
Wiarton Willie was a famous Canadian groundhog who lived in the
community of Wiarton in Bruce County, Ontario. Every February 2, on
Groundhog Day, Willie took part in the local Wiarton Willie Festival.
His role was to predict if there would be an early spring or not.
Unlike other weather predicting groundhogs like Punxsutawney Phil (from
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania), Willie was an albino.
There has been more than one Willie over the years. The original Willie
was famously found dead, in his burrow three days before the scheduled
appearance in 1999. That year's festival became a memorial for the
special rodent, though his keeper claims that Willie provided his
prediction before his death. He was replaced the following year, by
another albino groundhog.
Other Celebrity Groundhogs
Birmingham Bill
Bill, the groundhog, lives at the Birmingham Zoo in Birmingham, Alabama.
Bill makes his annual weather-predicting appearance at 10 am on
Saturday, February 2 - Southern groundhogs like to sleep in late!
Buckeye Chuck
A February tradition for many years, the Ohio General Assembly declared
'Buckeye Chuck' from Marion, OH, the State Groundhog in 1979.
Chester from St. Louis
Chester, the official weather prognosticating groundhog for the St.
Louis Zoo, is known for his accurate predictions.
Claude the Crawfish
Louisiana gets into the action with its very own weather-prognosticating
crawfish?
Dunkirk Dave
A famous weather-predicting groundhog living in Dunkirk, New York.
French Creek Freddy
French Creek Freddy, who makes his home at the West Virginia Wildlife
Center, has predicted West Virginia weather for about 25 years.
General Beauregard Lee
The official weather prognosticating groundhog from the state of
Georgia.
Jimmy the Groundhog
Jimmy hails from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, the true Groundhog Capital of
the World according to the natives.
Malverne Mel
As if New York didn't already have enough weather-predicting groundhogs,
Malverne Mel began his prognositicating career in Long Island in 1996.
Octarara Orphie
Punxsutawney Phil's neighborly rival, Octarara Orphie, is claimed in
Lancaster County PA as the king of the whistle pig prognosticators.
Peewee, the Woodchuck
The newest weather predicting groundhog on the block, from Mile Square
Farm in Vermont's Green Mountains.
Pennichuck Chuck
A newcomer to the world of weather forecasting groundhogs, Pennichuck
Chuck of Hollis, New Hampshire claims to have a different way of
predicting the weather.
Shubenacadie Sam
The Shubenacadie Wildlife Park's local meteorologist in Nova Scotia,
Canada. Claims to be the first weather predicting groundhog in Canada.
Sir Walter Wally
Sir Walter Wally and Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural
Sciences invite you to participate in their annual statewide celebration
of Groundhog Day.
Unadilla Bill
Groundhog Unadilla Bill looks for his shadow in Unadilla - the groundhog
capital of Nebraska..
