Staten Island Chuck Makes His 2018 Groundhog Day Prediction

STATEN ISLAND, NY — Ditch those winter coats and get ready for spring to be here soon, according to Staten Island's furry meteorologist.

Staten Island Chuck predicted an early spring for the city during a Friday morning Groundhog Day ceremony at the Staten Island Zoo. The groundhog was safe from Mayor Bill de Blasio's slippery hands who skipped the event again because he has "a lot too manage."

The prognosticator, who boasts a higher accuracy rating than his more famous rival Punxsutawney Phil, did not see his shadow when he emerged from his burrow calling for an early spring for the fourth year in a row on his 37th forecast.

His prediction differed from his Pennsylvania rival who saw his shadow and called for six more weeks of winter.

Chuck survived another Groundhog Day unharmed as de Blasio skipped the ceremony for the third year in a row, with Comptroller Scott Stringer taking his place.

During his first Groundhog Day ceremony in 2014, de Blasio dropped Chuck — later revealed to be a stand-in Charlotte — when he took her out of the burrow. She died a week later from internal injuries.

The groundhog was again kept in a plexiglass box and taken out of his burrow by an elevator instead of the slippery hands of an elected official.

Image: Nicholas Rizzi/Patch