Marc A. Hermann/for New York Daily News
An early fall? Mayor Bill de Blasio (center) accidentally dropped a squirming Staten Island Chuck during Sunday’s Groundhog Day ceremony.
The groundhog saw his shadow and now we're all going to pay for it with an elongated winter.
The handlers for Pennsylvania groundhog Punxsutawney Phil said Sunday morning he is forecasting six more weeks of winter after he emerged from his lair in front of thousands of people at daybreak.
Since 1886, the annual tradition has relied on whether or not the groundhog sees his shadow. Legend has it that if the rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last another month and a half. If he doesn't, spring will come early.
Phil is the most famous of a small group of groundhogs said to forecast the weather, including Staten Island Chuck in New York and General Beauregard Lee in Atlanta.
Chuck also declared a longer winter in after giving Mayor Bill de Blasio some trouble at a ceremony Sunday morning at the Staten Island Zoo.
Marc A. Hermann/for New York Daily News
Staten Island Chuck saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. Chuck is part of an elite group of groundhogs who predicts the early ending winters.
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The mayor brought some especially thick gloves in case Chuck tried a sneak attack.
"There are gloves and then there are gloves," he said. "Try getting through these, Chuck."
Before taking the groundhog, de Blasio noted the crowd was ready for some tropical weather following the recent polar vortex.
"And now with trepidation, I step forward," he said before carrying on with the ceremony.
Marc A. Hermann/for New York Daily News
Mayor Bill de Blasio (left) wore thick gloves in case Staten Island Chuck tried to bite him.
Though he didn't bite the mayor, Chuck put up a bit of a fight this year. As Chuck's handler handed him off to the mayor, Chuck scrambled and struggled, eventually flying out of de Blasio's arms. Fortunately he landed within the confines of his pen and not a foot farther on the ground. The entire crowd gasped as the handler grabbed Chuck, holding him tight. After his near escape, Chuck calmed down.
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But after all the commotion, the crowd did not get the answer it hoped for.
"Oh, I'm sorry to say we have troubling news here," the mayor said. "Chuck likes the polar vortex. Chuck says more winter. Chuck has spoken everyone. Live by the groundhog, die by the groundhog."
He noted Chuck has been wrong 29% of the time and maybe this will be one of them.
Marc A. Hermann/for New York Daily News
Though they got off to a rough start, Mayor de Blasio was later seen petting Staten Island Chuck — without the steel-tipped glove.
After Chuck's near escape, de Blasio removed one of the thick handling gloves the zoo provided and petted the groundhog.
"Chuck is smiling, that's a good sign," he said. "He's Zen Chuck now."
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In reference to the dropped groundhog Staten Island Borough President Ed Burke said, "for a moment I thought he was going to predict an early fall," which was met with groans by the audience.
De Blasio and his entire entourage then went into a local diner.
Keith Srakocic/AP
Punxsutawney Phil is cradled after spotting his shadow and predicting six more weeks of winter.
"It was fun, but I don't want winter any longer," Amanda Davies, 18, said. "I think de Blasio did a good job. We saw what happened with Chuck, but he did a good job. Chuck was like, 'I don't want to be here' and tried to go, that's all."
"I don't think it was intentional," Nicole Davies, 13, said with a laugh. "I mean, accidents happen."
The sisters, whose family from Staten Island have been long-time observers at the event, said the attempted escape didn't hold a candle to 2009's fiasco when Chuck bit through then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg's leather glove.
"Oh yeah, that was a fun year," Amanda said. "Now it's steel-tipped gloves, the whole thing."
Keith Srakocic/AP
Punxsutawney Phil is the most well-known of the spring-predicting groundhogs, along with Staten Island Chuck and General Beauregard Lee in Atlanta.
Mom Gina Davies, 39, said she enjoyed this year because it was warm.
"It's been a lot colder in the past," she said. "We've felt like ice sculptures in the past. This is a nice year."
"It's a big thing; you get up, you freeze, but you come because Chuck is the best," Amanda said.
This was the first time Groundhog Day — observed on Feb. 2 — fell on Super Bowl Sunday. The closest before came in 2009 when the big game fell a day before the big prediction.
The Atlanta groundhog predicted an early spring, but compared to the Northeast, isn't it always?
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