Will he see his shadow? What to know about Buckeye Chuck and Groundhog Day on Friday
Groundhog Day is almost here − and if you're sick of winter by now, you may just be willing to rely on a large rodent for some promising weather news.
The real (and new) Buckeye Chuck is back this year, and will be telling us Friday whether winter will be long or short this year. As the tradition goes, if the groundhog sees his shadow, he will retreat into his den and there will be six more weeks of winter. Spring will arrive early if he doesn't see his shadow.
Here's what you need to know about Ohio's own whistle pig for Groundhog Day:
Where can I hear Buckeye Chuck's forecast?
Marion's WMRN-AM will broadcast Buckeye Chuck's official forecast at 7:40 a.m. on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2. The live event will take place at the studio of AM-1490 WMRN, 1330 N. Main St. in Marion from 7 to 8 a.m., and will be broadcast live on the local station as well as on the iHeartRadio phone app.
When is Groundhog Day 2024?
In 2024, Groundhog Day is on Friday, Feb. 2.
What is Buckeye Chuck's record?
According to his supporters, Buckeye Chuck has a 75% success rate in predicting the weather, while the most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, is right about 40% of the time, according to The Marion Star. Records have been lost over the years, though, so it's hard to say exactly which woodchuck is more accurate.
Why didn't they use the real Buckeye Chuck in 2023?
There have been some big changes since Groundhog Day 2023, when the radio station used a stuffed groundhog instead of a live animal in response to backlash from animal rights advocates, The Enquirer reported.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals took issue with the station's employment of Kokas Exotics, an exotic animal breeder located in Marion County that has supplied a live groundhog for the radio event for several years. The animal rights group said the breeder was only licensed to breed and sell animals, not exhibit them.
The new Buckeye Chuck is a 1-year-old whistle pig named Murray who lives at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
Why do groundhogs predict the weather?
The tradition (and later holiday) began as a Pennsylvania German custom in southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, according to the National Weather Service.
The tradition of relying on hibernating animals for weather advice has its origins in ancient European weather lore, where a badger or sacred bear is the prognosticator as opposed to a groundhog. It also has its origins in Candlemas, an ancient Christian holiday where a clear sky was meant to indicate an early spring.
In the 1880s, a newspaper editor in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, used his platform to promote Punxsutawney Phil "to be the one and only official weather forecasting groundhog," a title now contested by Buckeye Chuck, who became the state's official weather-predicting groundhog in 1975.
The Marion Star contributed to this report.
@Colebehr_report
Cbehrens@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Who is Buckeye Chuck? What to know about Ohio's forecasting groundhog
