UPDATE: On February 2, 2018 at 7:41 a.m. Ohio’s Official Weather Prognosticator, Buckeye Chuck did see his shadow, so that means 6 more weeks of winter for us Ohioans.
Buckeye Chuck has been predicting whether winter is here to stay or will subside early ever since the 1970s. He was named Ohio’s official weather prognosticating groundhog in 1979 by the Ohio General Assembly.
This year will be no different. But the groundhog itself could be.
WMRN-AM, the local radio station that puts on the event, gets the groundhogs for the event on loan from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said Paul James, WMRN program director.
Some Buckeye Chucks are better than others at studying weather patterns and reading the signs of the sky. Last year, the groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter, only for the month of February to turn out to be one of the warmest on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Maybe this year will bring a better weather-reading groundhog than last.
“We are always hopeful for a very accurate prediction,” James said, though he acknowledged Buckeye Chuck’s forecast often depends on how cloudy or clear the sky is on Groundhog Day morning.
No matter what kind of weather forecaster Buckeye Chuck is, it will not deter Groundhog Day enthusiasts from heading out to the WMRN studios at 1330 N. Main St. from 7 to 8 a.m. Friday for a live broadcast of the groundhog’s proclamation.
“Even though it’s folklore, the amount of people who really buy into it amazes me every year,” James said, adding that there are visitors who travel from out of state to see Buckeye Chuck hand down a prognosis.
The story goes that Buckeye Chuck emerges from his den, in the woods behind the studios of WMRN, to deliver the weather forecast of the weeks ahead.
As legend has it, if Buckeye Chuck sees his shadow at sunrise, Ohioans will have to bear six more weeks of winter.
The National Weather Service was predicting mostly sunny skies for Friday, though James said the groundhog’s prediction largely depends on what the cloud cover is like around 7:40 a.m., when Buckeye Chuck makes his proclamation.
As is tradition, Spam sandwiches and coffee will be served at the event, which kicks off at 7 a.m., according to WMRN’s website.
So do you think Buckeye Chuck will see his Shadow on Friday? Leave your prediction in the comments below!
Source: MarionStar
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