MARION, Ohio — Northeast Ohioans may soon get a break from winter, according to Buckeye Chuck.
Ohio’s official groundhog did not see his shadow during his annual Groundhog Day appearance Monday morning, signaling an early spring under traditional folklore. Chuck emerged at 7:40 a.m. at the Marion County Fairgrounds Colosseum under cloudy skies, a condition that typically points to milder weather ahead.
The prediction was announced during a live Groundhog Day celebration hosted by iHeartMedia Marion’s 1490 WMRN and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where Buckeye Chuck lives when he is not making his once-a-year forecast.
Groundhog Day tradition holds that if a groundhog sees his shadow, winter will continue for six more weeks. A shadowless appearance, as was the case Monday morning, suggests winter is nearing its end.
Organizers said Buckeye Chuck has been delivering his annual forecast for more than four decades, dating back to the late 1970s. Supporters of the tradition credit the famed groundhog with an accuracy rate of about 70%.
While meteorologists will have the final word on the weeks ahead, Chuck’s prediction offers Ohioans a reason to start dreaming of warmer days.
