Ohio Has Its Own Groundhog, and Buckeye Chuck Is Far More Reliable Than Punxsutawney Phil

MARION, OH — Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most famous groundhog, will emerge at sunrise on Feb. 2 to make his 139th annual weather prediction at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The tradition, which began in 1886, is expected to draw up to 30,000 attendees and millions more tuning in online or on television to see if Phil sees his shadow, signaling six more weeks of winter.

Phil’s origins are tied to German immigrants who brought the tradition to Pennsylvania, replacing the European hedgehog with a groundhog for their seasonal forecasts. The event is rooted in the ancient holiday of Candlemas, which marked the midpoint between the winter solstice and spring equinox. Early Christians believed that clear skies on Candlemas Day meant a longer winter ahead.

In Ohio, Buckeye Chuck will take the spotlight at the Marion County Fairgrounds during the state’s own Groundhog Day celebration. The event will run from 7 to 8 a.m. on Feb. 2 and will feature Chuck, whose real name is Murray, predicting the weather before hundreds of fans.

Buckeye Chuck’s Journey to Fame

Buckeye Chuck’s story began in Marion during the 1970s when WMRN radio host Charlie Evers noticed a groundhog living near the station. Evers made the groundhog part of his Groundhog Day broadcast, eventually involving local schoolchildren in naming the animal. The name “Buckeye Chuck” was chosen, and in 1979, state legislation officially declared him Ohio’s weather-predicting groundhog.

Jim Nemet, director of wildlife at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, oversees Murray’s care and travel. Murray joined the museum in 2023 after it was determined he couldn’t return to the wild due to his comfort around humans. As part of his training, Murray voluntarily enters a travel carrier daily, making him ready for his two-hour journey to Marion.

“It’s all up to Murray whether or not he participates,” Nemet explained, adding that the groundhog receives positive reinforcement throughout the process. “If we open the door and he sees 300 people and decides not to come out, we won’t force him.”

The Legacy of Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day’s roots in the United States trace back to the 1800s. In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, a local newspaper editor named Clymer H. Freas proclaimed Punxsutawney Phil the official weather prognosticator. The event has since grown into a global phenomenon. While Phil’s accuracy hovers around 40%, Buckeye Chuck boasts a 75% success rate, according to Paul James, host of Buckeye Chuck Day for 18 years.

“There’s a pocket of people around the world that think this is an awesome thing to do,” James said.

The Buckeye Chuck Day celebration will also feature food vendors, activities from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and a live broadcast on 1490 WMRN and Buckeye Chuck’s Facebook page.

Other Ohio Weather Predictors

While Buckeye Chuck is Ohio’s official groundhog, other animals across the state offer unique forecasts, including Benny the Bass in Buckeye Lake, Wildwood Willie in Toledo, Concord Casimir the cat in Concord, and Walnut the hedgehog in Dayton. These alternative predictors use methods ranging from bait to shadows and even pierogis to forecast the weather.

As the tradition continues, enthusiasts in both Pennsylvania and Ohio eagerly await the groundhogs’ predictions to see if spring will arrive early or winter will linger.