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NOAA study ranks groundhogs for weather-predicting accuracy

NOAA released a study of Groundhog Day predictions and found Punxsutawney Phil to be the 17th most accurate groundhog in the United States. File Photo by George M Powers/UPI
NOAA released a study of Groundhog Day predictions and found Punxsutawney Phil to be the 17th most accurate groundhog in the United States. File Photo by George M Powers/UPI | License Photo

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Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a study analyzing the annual prognostications of weather-predicting groundhogs and found the most famous, Punxsutawney Phil, didn't even crack the top 10.

NOAA released the study ahead of Groundhog Day, which falls on Sunday, to analyze which groundhogs -- along with one prairie dog statue and a tortoise -- were the most accurate in predicting whether spring would come early or late.

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Only groundhogs who have been predicting the weather for at least 20 years were included in the study, and each had to still be active as of Feb. 2, 2024.

The most accurate weather predictor of the bunch was found to be Staten Island Chuck, who accurately predicted the arrival of spring 85% of the time.

The rest of the top five were Georgia's General Beauregard Lee, at 80%; a Wyoming Prairie Dog statue named Lander Lil, with 75%; a mythical West Virginia groundhog named Concord Charlie, at 65%; and Illinois' Gertie the Groundhog, with 65 percent.

The most famous weather-predicting groundhog, Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil, was all the way down at 17th place, having predicted the weather accurately 35% of the time.

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"A beloved national celebrity, legend has it that he has been prophesying when spring would arrive from his burrow on Gobbler's Knob since 1887," NOAA said. "How has he lived for so long? The answer is simple... the 'groundhog nog' fed to him each fall at Punxsutawney's annual Groundhog Picnic!"

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