SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (WFRV) — While Punxsutawney Phil made his annual appearance Monday at Gobbler’s Knob, Wisconsin’s own groundhog offered a different forecast.
Jimmy the Groundhog, based in Sun Prairie and known as the state’s unofficial weather-predicting rodent, predicted an early spring — directly contradicting Phil’s call for six more weeks of winter.
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Punxsutawney Phil may be the most famous groundhog in the country, but supporters of Jimmy point to accuracy rates when weighing whose prediction to trust. Phil’s historical accuracy is estimated at around 35%, while Jimmy’s is closer to 65%, according to organizers.
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Across the country, more than a dozen animals take part in Groundhog Day-style forecasts each year. Staten Island Chuck is considered the most accurate, with an estimated 85% success rate, while Mojave Max — a tortoise in Nevada — ranks among the lowest at around 20%.
Groundhog Day has been observed in the United States since at least Feb. 2, 1886. The tradition began in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, before spreading nationwide. While groundhogs remain the most common forecasters, communities now use a variety of animals — and even non-animals — to predict the arrival of spring.
