Buckeye Chuck, Ohio's official weather-predicting
groundhog
The groundhog (''Marmota monax''), also known as a woodchuck, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots.
The groundhog is a lowland creature of North America; it is found through mu ...
, resides in
Marion, Ohio
Marion is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus.
The population was 35,999 at the 2020 census, slightly down from 36,837 at the ...
. He is one of two whistlepigs (another name for groundhogs) in Ohio known for predicting the arrival of spring on
Groundhog Day (February 2). A native of Ohio, Chuck began predicting the arrival of spring in the 1970s. In addition, the
Ohio General Assembly declared Buckeye Chuck the official State Groundhog in 1979.
However, from 2006 to 2015, Chuck's forecast was correct only twice.
According to the legend of
Groundhog Day, the groundhog's behavior is a way of forecasting the weather. If the groundhog pops out from its burrow, sees his shadow, and then disappears again, it will mean that winter is to continue for six more weeks. But if the groundhog does not see its shadow, then it will not be scared to come out of its burrow and winter will soon end.
Past predictions
See also
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Balzac Billy Balzac Billy is the "Prairie Prognosticator", a man-sized groundhog mascot who prognosticates weather on Groundhog Day. He lives in Balzac, Alberta, 8 km north of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
According to the legend of Groundhog Day, the groundho ...
*
Fred la marmotte
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General Beauregard Lee
General Beauregard Lee is a groundhog in the US state of Georgia widely considered to be the Groundhog Day weather prognosticator for the Southern United States.
General Beauregard Lee's predecessor was known as General Robert E. Lee, named afte ...
*
Punxsutawney Phil
Punxsutawney Phil is the name given to a groundhog residing in Young Township near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, who is the central figure in Punxsutawney's annual Groundhog Day celebration.
Folklore
On February 2 each year, Punxsutawney holds ...
*
Shubenacadie Sam Shubenacadie Sam is a Canadian groundhog who lives at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park in the town of Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia. Every February 2, on Groundhog Day, Sam's shadow is closely observed at 08:00 AST to make the traditional prediction whe ...
*
Staten Island Chuck
Staten Island Chuck, also referred to more formally as Charles G. Hogg, is a groundhog who resided in the Staten Island Zoo in Staten Island, New York City. He serves as the official groundhog meteorologist of New York City, who predicts the dura ...
*
Stormy Marmot Stormy Marmot is a yellow-bellied marmot of the Rocky Mountain region, living in Aurora, Colorado. Every February 2, on Groundhog Day, Stormy makes a prediction for the remainder of winter. History
Stormy is a yellow-bellied marmot, a member of the ...
*
Wiarton Willie
Wiarton Willie is the name given to a Canadian groundhog who lives in the community of Wiarton in Bruce County, Ontario. Every February 2, on Groundhog Day, Willie takes part in the local ''Wiarton Willie Festival''. His role is to predict whether ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
ohiohistorycentral.org- Ohio History Central: Buckeye Chuck
Individual groundhogs
Holiday characters
Oracular animals
Individual animals in the United States
Marion, Ohio
Ohio culture
Groundhog Day