STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 The Staten Island Zoo\u2019s most famous resident is more than 85% accurate when it comes to predicting the arrival of spring. And given the recent biting cold in New York City, eager eyes will surely peek from beneath hoods and over warm scarves to get a hopeful glance at Staten Island Chuck.<\/p>\n
The Groundhog has been monitoring weather since 1981 at the Staten Island Zoo in West Brighton. And for four out of five years, on average, the Chuckster is right on the money.<\/p>\n
In 2025, he hit paydirt again,<\/a> predicting early spring. His prediction was followed by several days of warm weather within the next six weeks. <\/p>\n The Staten Island Zoo plans to reveal his most current accuracy record on Feb. 2, when the furry prognosticator emerges from a wooden hollow into his clear enclosure to look for his shadow.<\/p>\n The early spring forecast <\/a>in 2024 was also right on the money. <\/p>\n Chuck\u2019s extended winter-or-early spring predictions have been on point for the last 16 years; he was last officially wrong in 2009, the same year he bit former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (Worth noting: In 2017, students at PS 45 who tracked Chuck\u2019s prediction said he was wrong that year<\/a>, too.)<\/p>\n According to Groundhog Day lore, if the groundhog sees its shadow it is predicting six more weeks of winter. If not, an early spring is on the way.<\/p>\n Staten Island Chuck\u2019s recent performances:<\/p>\n 2025: Early spring predicted<\/a>, and supported by weather documented by students at Susan E. Wagner High School, as well as other weather forecasters. <\/p>\n 2024: Prepare for another early spring<\/a>, called Chuck, during the first public Groundhog Day ceremony at the Staten Island Zoo since 2020. Yet again, Chuck\u2019s prediction was right as spring arrived a day earlier than usual.<\/p>\n 2023: Early spring, he said, and he was correct. In fact, he was so right, New York didn\u2019t even register any snow that year.<\/p>\n 2022: Chuck called for an early spring. The ceremony was closed to the public for the second year in a row, but District Attorney Michael E. McMahon was on hand to announce Chuck\u2019s prediction.<\/p>\n 2021: For the seventh straight year, Chuck called for an early spring. The annual ceremony looked a bit different with no crowds cheering on Chuck. The Zoo pre-recorded the ceremony a short time before a major nor\u2019easter, confusing several viewers. Chuck provided an accurate prediction.<\/p>\n 2020: Weeks before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shut down the entire world, people came out in droves to watch Chuck make his prediction. Unable to find his shadow, he accurately predicted an early spring.<\/p>\n 2019: Chuck failed to find his shadow when exiting his burrow, calling for an early spring. While Mayor Bill de Blasio was not in attendance<\/a> at the Zoo\u2019s event, he didn\u2019t escape a dig from then Rep. Max Rose (D-Staten Island\/Brooklyn), who opened his speech with \u201c(Deputy Borough President Ed Burke) drops jokes and animal facts like the mayor drops groundhogs.\u201d<\/p>\n 2018: Chuck searched in vain for his shadow, then predicted an early spring when he popped up from below in his plastic enclosure. He was right on the money. PS 45 students supported his prediction, since warmer days followed. Deputy Borough President Ed Burke acted as emcee during the annual celebration, while Public Advocate Letitia Lames and NYC Comptroller Scott Springer announced the prediction.<\/p>\n