Though it’s not the most popular holiday of the year, Groundhog Day can be an exciting time when the winter stretch seems endless and there’s hope of an early spring on the horizon.
Each February 2nd, those who follow the holiday anxiously await to hear whether the central figure of the celebration, Punxsutawney Phil, sees his shadow or not. If a shadow is seen, that means there will be six more weeks of winter. If Phil does not see his shadow (the outcome most people wish to occur), that means an early spring is ahead.
We won’t know his answer until the morning of, but The Old Farmer’s Almanac has made a few predictions of their own for this year. They believe snow flurries and cloudy skies will prevent Phil from seeing his shadow, therefore, declaring an early end to winter.
Yet, New York has its very own Staten Island Chuck—who notoriously disagrees with Phil—and The Old Farmer’s Almanac estimates a different outcome for southern New England, the central Rockies, Georgia Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and much of the southwest.
Punxsutawney Phil currently has a 40% accuracy rate, according to the NOAA. However, the Staten Island Zoo claims that Chuck has an 80% accuracy rate. I guess we’ll have to just wait and see who the better weatherman is…(our money’s on Chuck!)
The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts February to be a rainy month for the East Coast with normal to above precipitation. Beyond Groundhog Day, February is also Black History Month and host to Valentine’s Day. But until then, here’s everything you should do in NYC this January!