CHATTANOOGA CHUCK, Tennessee’s official groundhog didn’t see his shadow predicting spring is on the way!

Chattanooga Chuck resides at the Tennessee Aquarium and is famous for performing with the infamous Ranger Rick.

Tennessee’s Groundhog is quite popular at the aquarium and loves to put on a show.

Chattanooga Chuck earned the Number 5 spot on The Weather Channel’s “Top 11 Groundhogs to Watch.”

Learn more about Chattanooga Chuck at http://www.tnaqua.org/blog/entry/chattanooga-chuck-   makes-his-official-2016-   forecast and http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/feb/02/photo-chattanooga-chuck-predicts-early-spring/410826/

PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL, the legendary groundhog did his shadow predicting six more weeks of winter!

Punxsutawney Phil lives in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania with his “wife” Phyllis and “daughter” Phelicia in their temporary home on Gobbler’s Knob.

The Punxsutawney family and The Inner Circle, a select group of members caring for the legendary groundhog throughout the year traditionally celebrates Groundhog Day on February 2, with community wide events and festivities.

The legendary Punxsutawney groundhog family has been predicting the weather since 1887, carrying on family name and traditional celebration.

According to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day the Punxsutawney groundhog family has predicted the weather 130 times, including today’s predication.

The family’s tradition of weather predictions on Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania has been correct approximately 39% of the time!

OREGON’S HEDGEHOG FUFU predicts early spring!

Oregon celebrates Groundhog Day with a hedgehog staying consistent with folklore of the origination of Groundhog Day. According to folklore, Europeans would watch the native hedgehog. If the rodents came out of their dens early, they knew it was going to be an early spring; otherwise they knew winter would be around a while longer. After immigrating to the United States a groundhog, closely related to the hedgehog, was chosen to carry on the tradition since hedgehogs weren’t native to the states. FuFu the Hedgehog is cared for at the Oregon Zoo.

Officials of the Oregon Zoo say the hedgehog has a slight better record than Punxsutawney Phil, predicting correctly approximately 50% of the time.

Learn more about FuFu the Hedgehog at http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2017/02/oregons_own_weather-predicting.html

ACCORDING TO THE WEATHER CHANNEL Punxsutawney Phil holds the top spot for predicting Groundhogs on Groundhog Day but meteorologist with The Weather Channel say Punxsutawney Phil is wrong this year.

Following the 2016 Hottest Recorded Year on record, February has proven, especially here in Tennessee to continue breaking weather records. If the previous weather trend and current trend of winter weather is any indicator of what to expect, I’d be placing my bets on an early spring with our very own Chattanooga Chuck and Oregon’s Hedgehog FuFu.

Although The Weather Channel states he is wrong this year, Punxsutawney Phil is ranked the top Groundhog but the following groundhogs hold the next four spots.

  • Staten Island Chuck
  • Georgia’s General Beauregard Lee
  • Dunkirk, New York’s Dave
  • Marmota Monax from Chattanooga, Tennessee – also known as Chattanooga Chuck

 

Learn more at the The Weather Channel https://weather.com/forecast/national/news/february-2017-temperature-forecast

We have differing predictions this year…who do you believe?

Cheatham News (c) 2017