Groundhog Day in NYC - Feb. 2

[Punzie]

http://www.statenislandzoo.org/ChuckWCalendarForWeb.jpg


At 7:30 this morning, Groundhog "Chuck" emerged from his hole at the Staten Island Zoo...

... and he did NOT see his shadow!
Looks like the falling snow will thaw and we'll have an early Spring.:cool:


Punxsutawney Phil agrees.

[Punzie]

Groundhogs predict an early Spring

BY ANDREW STRICKLER
Newsday Staff Writer
February 2, 2007, 9:08 AM EST

(http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-lihog0203,0,1416630.story?track=rss#topix)
Call it a split decision.

Long Island's two weather forecasting groundhogs gave differing thoughts on the fate of winter on this Groundhog Day. While Malverne Mel is predicting an early spring, Holtsville Hal demurred and indicated that winter was here for six more weeks.

"Mel says there's gonna be an early spring this year," Village of Malverne Mayor Anthony Panzerella announced Friday morning to a crowd of about 100 people, who responded with a cheer.

Holtsville Hal, however, awoke Friday and saw his shadow, according to officials at the Harold H. Malkmes Wildlife Education and Ecology Center.

Malverne Mel appeared cranky Friday morning, emerging from his container only at the insistence of his handler. At one point, he snapped at the mayor's gloved hand.

Mel's prediction concurred with those of fellow weather forecasters Staten Island Chuck and Punxsutawney Phil of Pennsylvania, who also predicted Friday that an early spring is on the way.

While Mel predicted an early spring, Matt Crowe, 10, of Malverne, said he had hoped Mel had ignored his shadow so he could have more snow days in school. "I kind wish there was going to be six more weeks of winter," he said.

Both father and son said they would be back next year. "It's really a small town, homey feeling," said Brenden Crowe, 47.

There was no word if Mel's failure to see his shadow, the sign of an early spring, was influenced by the morning's cloudy skies.

Government forecasters got a head start on the groundhog Thursday, calling for a chilly February in the Northeast.

"This winter got off to a very warm start, but it is ending with more seasonable temperatures and precipitation over most of the U.S.," said Mike Halpert, meteorologist at the Climate Prediction Center, an arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Readings should be below-average in parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.

February rain and snowfall is expected to be above average throughout much of the southern United States, from California to Florida and the south Atlantic Coast and in southern Alaska. Below average rain and snow is expected in the Missouri Valley, the western Great Lakes, the Alaskan Panhandle, much of Washington state and Hawaii.

Staff writer Caryn Eve Murray, freelance writer Emerson Clarridge and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-lihog0203,0,1416630.story?track=rss


Holtsville Hal, way out yonder in Suffolk County, the other groundhogs have something to tell you: you're wrong! Go burrow in a hole! (Oh, you're doing that already...)

[OmegaNYC]

Hey! How did you get that picture of me in my office!!!

[Punzie]

More photos of "Staten Island Chuck" - from The New York Times:

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/02/03/nyregion/03ground600.1.jpg
Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
Charles G. Hogg and friends on Staten Island;
Charles and many other groundhogs, including Punxsutawney Phil, predicted an early spring.


http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/02/03/nyregion/03ground650.2.jpg
Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
Closeup of Charles G. Hogg with a zookeeper, Doug Schwartz.


Pics from "The Groundhog Emerged, and Sounded a Lot Like Al Gore":
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/03/nyregion/03groundhog.html

[MidtownGuy]

Well, the little booger was wrong this year, that's for sure.:cool:

But, I checked the forecast and the next 3 days will be sunny and 70...:) ...:D .
Tomorrow will find me in Central Park, with the magnolias and cherry trees hopefully in full bloom and a bag full of seeds to toss at baby birdees...:o
My goodness, we've waited long enough.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/466605024_281a974f6c_b.jpg

[alonzo-ny]

How can you know he saw his shadow?

[alonzo-ny]

Silly pointless tradition.

[lofter1]

what's silly ^ ?

winter ?

[alonzo-ny]

Yeah, its like every year now we have one.