STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Staten Island Zoo, West Brighton, will welcome the public to its annual Groundhog Day ceremony on Monday, Feb. 2, when Staten Island Chuck emerges to predict whether spring will arrive early or winter will linger.
Gates open at 7:30 a.m. at the zoo’s Broadway entrance, with the program beginning at 8 a.m. Chuck will make his appearance and deliver his forecast at 8:30 a.m. Admission is free from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.
Zoo Executive Director Ken Mitchell will announce Chuck’s prediction alongside elected officials, dignitaries. Citizens, which is presenting the event, will be represented by Yajaira Hafley, Tri-State Metro Retail Market executive.
Students from Susan E. Wagner High School will attend the ceremony as part of an educational initiative that positions Chuck as an ambassador for weather science and meteorology. The students will monitor local weather conditions from Feb. 2 through March 20, the first day of spring, to test the accuracy of Chuck’s forecast.
According to legend, groundhogs emerge from winter hibernation on Feb. 2. If the groundhog sees its shadow and retreats to its burrow, six more weeks of winter are predicted. If it doesn’t see its shadow, an early spring is forecast. Chuck has proven accurate more than 78% of the time, according to the Staten Island Zoo.
The ceremony will take place outside the zoo’s main building at 614 Broadway.
The Groundhog Day ceremony, weather science educational programs, and care for Chuck are sponsored by Citizens.