Groundhog Day: Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck disagree on prediction!

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania - Groundhog Day is upon us, but the results are inconclusive, as two of the most famous puffy predictors had different answers to the big question.

Punxsutawney Phil just before seeing his shadow during the Groundhog Day ceremony.
Punxsutawney Phil just before seeing his shadow during the Groundhog Day ceremony.  © Screenshot/YouTube/Visit Pennsylvania

According to groundhog lore, if the woodchuck sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If it doesn't, then an early spring is on its way.

There is more than one furry forecaster that people turn to at roughly the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The most well known is in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

Punxsutawney Phil is continuing a local tradition that can be traced all the way back to 1886, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club's website.

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Phil celebrated Groundhog day virtually in February 2021, but crowds were back in full force Wednesday morning at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney. Some 9,000 viewers tuned in to a YouTube live stream to watch the men in frocks and top hats flank the furry forecaster.

Phil climbed out of his burrow 7:25 am and despite the sign that read "Think spring" held up by his top hatted handlers, the woodchuck saw his shadow.

That means six more weeks of winter are on their way.

This is the second piece of bad news in quick succession, after Milltown, New Jersey lost its own furry forecaster, Milton, shortly before Groundhog day.

Milltown Mel passed before the big day

Milltown Mel died a few days before he could make a prediction
Milltown Mel died a few days before he could make a prediction  © screenshot/ Facebook/ milltownmel

Mel's handlers, known as the Milltown Wranglers, shared on Facebook Tuesday that Mel "recently crossed over the rainbow bridge." Since no replacement could be found, the Milltown ceremony had to be canceled.

Mel had been telling local residents if it was time to sow seeds or hunker down since 2017, according to FOX5. The Milltown tradition started all the way back in 2009.

News of a groundhog's passing before the big day might feel like a "groundhog event" and that's because Mel isn't the first woodchuck to pass before the big day. According to NJ.com, in 2016 the Sussex County's furry forecaster, named, Stonewall Jackson died the night before Groundhog day.

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More winter may sound like a drag, but luckily, Phil isn't the only bucktoothed meteorologist. There's also Staten Island Chuck.

Chuck, who calls the Staten Island Zoo home, celebrated virtually again Wednesday morning and made his prediction at 7:35 to 1,3000 viewers. Unlike Phil, he didn't see his shadow and declared an early spring.

According to the Zoo's Facebook page, Chuck boasts an 85% prediction accuracy rate.

Cover photo: Screenshot/YouTube/Visit Pennsylvania

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