Rodents predicting weather trends. Why?
Just as fair a Groundhog Day question, though, is this: Why not? And more importantly, why should always get to, well, hog the press?
The spring-heralding (or spring-delaying) small animal has taken firm root in some swaths of American culture. And while Phil and his Pennsylvania ilk are the most celebrated, there is an astonishingly broad selection of other critters who have felt the need (or, at least, their handlers have) to put reputations on the line to “predict” meteorology in the dead of winter. Here we offer just a few.
Before we take a look, pause for a moment to remember one particular groundhog of yore — Charlotte, a stand-in for Staten Island Chuck in 2014. She predicted six more weeks before by then-New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio and dying a week later.
Do take aboard a disclaimer, though. This is merely a smattering of groundhoggery, offered up in no particular order. Please don't be offended if your animal isn't included. Maybe next year.
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JIMMY THE GROUNDHOG, Wisconsin: Caused controversy in 2015 after on the .
MILLTOWN MEL, New Jersey: Event got caught up in this year after the previous prognosticator expired.
WOODY THE WOODCHUCK, Michigan: in a small, human-made tree stump on Thursday.
WOODSTOCK WILLIE, Illinois. Thursday. Site of where the best-ever PR around the day — the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day" — was filmed.
OCTORARO ORPHIE, Pennsylvania: from a home base in Quarryville in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Because of Pennsylvania Dutch folklore, which helped give birth to the Groundhog Day tradition, that region has , including Mount Joy Minnie and Dover Doug.
STATEN ISLAND CHUCK, New York: Longtime predictor in the New York City borough. the current mayor didn't attend.
BUCKEYE CHUCK, Ohio: Another Chuck, this one further inland. This year, according to , the Chuck used publicly was a stuffed one after an animal-rights group objected to how a live one had been treated.
GEN. BEAUREGARD LEE, Georgia: Claims high accuracy rate. Contradicted Phil .
