What to Know
- Just before 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow in Pennsylvania at sunrise and didn't see his shadow
- About 300 miles away, Staten Island Chuck's handlers also revealed the same prediction
- A German legend that says if a furry rodent casts a shadow on Feb. 2, winter continues. If not, spring comes early
Handlers for Staten Island Chuck say the furry forecaster didn't see his shadow so New Yorkers are in for an early spring.
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson presided over Saturday's ceremony at the Staten Island Zoo and unfurled a proclamation that said "Spring is Coming!"
The Groundhog Day tradition is based on a German legend that says if a groundhog casts a shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last another six weeks.
The tradition has provided unexpected drama in New York City over the years.
Mayor Bill de Blasio accidentally dropped the groundhog at the 2015 ceremony and it died a week later. That happened after former Mayor Michael Bloomberg was bitten at a Groundhog Day ceremony in 2009.
The groundhog was kept safely inside a glass enclosure Saturday.
Local
In Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow at sunrise and didn't see his shadow.
