Groundhog Day animals: Meet Punxsutawney Phil’s competitors

WASHINGTON — Everyone knows about Punxsutawney Phil’s annual Groundhog Day weather prediction, but he’s not the only animal giving insights on whether there’ll be six more weeks of winter or an early spring. 

Phil on Friday predicted an early spring and many of his colleagues (or competitors) have agreed so far. According to the Associated Press, among more than a dozen reports of weather predicting groundhogs early Friday, 10 were on Phil’s side and just three warned of six more weeks of winter.

Here are nine other creatures who give their own Groundhog Day prognostications. 

Staten Island Chuck is touted as the world’s most accurate prognosticating groundhog and also called for an early spring. 

He’s been accurate more than 80% of the time dating back  to the first festivities at the Staten Island Zoo in 1981, according to zoo officials. 

Friday’s prediction marked 10 years since former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped Chuck during the Groundhog Day ceremony. The animal died a week later. 

While an autopsy revealed the groundhog suffered internal injuries, it wasn’t clear if those stemmed from the fall, according to the Associated Press. After the 2014 incident, zoo officials instituted new safety measures so no one is allowed to hold the groundhog except zoo handlers. 

Every year in Butts County, Georgia, General Beauregard Lee (Beau, for short) emerges out of his home at the Dauset Trails Nature Center for his prediction. This year, Beau also declared it will be an early spring. 

And he’s got a better forecasting record than Phil. According to an analysis done by 538, Beau is accurate about how things will play out in the Southeast about 70% of the time, while Phil has been about 40% accurate for his home region since 1994.

While the movie “Groundhog Day” is set in Punxsutawney, it was mostly filmed in the town of Woodstock, Illinois. That’s where Woodstock Willie makes his prediction once a year. 

Longtime WGN Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling read the groundhog’s prognostication of an early spring. 

Washington, D.C., turns to Potomac Phil for his insight on Groundhog Day each year. For 2024, he also predicted an early spring. 

In Marion, Ohio, Buckeye Chuck also predicted that we will have an early spring this year. As part of Ohio’s tradition, Buckeye Chuck visits WMRN AM radio station every Feb. 2.

In Howell, Michigan, Woody the Woodchuck emerged from her home at the city’s nature center and predicted there will be six more weeks of winter. 

According to Mlive.com, Howell Nature Center officials said Woody has had a nearly 70% accuracy rate in her predictions since 1999. 

Octoraro Orphie in Quarryville, Pennsylvania, a rival of the Punxsutawney groundhog for more than a century, says the cold will be around for awhile.

In northeastern Connecticut, its Scramble the Duck who looks for his shadow to do the prognosticating on Groundhog Day. This year, his shadow wasn’t present – a sign of an early spring. Scramble has been prognosticating since 2015, and his handlers boast of a 100% accuracy rate.

Central Iowans celebrated Groundhog Day at the 20th annual Polk County Paula event on Friday, with her making the same prediction as Phil for an early spring. 

WXIA, WBNS and Associated Press contributed to this report.