Feb. 2 is almost over, and you may not have realized, but today was Groundhog Day. Though there is one famous groundhog celebrated on this day, there are 77 prognosticators in North America according to groundhog-day.com.

Prognosticators are animals (or sometimes people in animal costumes) who can predict the weather. This tradition dates back to the 11th century in Ireland where the people celebrated Imbolc, which was the celebration of spring. The holiday evolved to Candlemas, where the season would be predicted by just looking at the weather in early February, according to the Library of Congress.

It would not be until the German’s were introduced to Candlemas, where they introduced the idea of hedgehogs predicting the weather.

In America, it was not until 1887 where the weather predicting groundhog was introduced.

Apparently specially ordained groundhogs speak in Groundhogese, a secret language used to communicate between groundhog and human officiant.

Now, Groundhog Day has taken on a life of its own.

10. Hope the groundhog

Hope is from Hope, Indiana. The town hosts an event in the town square every year to showcase Hope and if the groundhog sees its shadow.

While Hope does its thing polka music plays. Now that’s awesome.

Out of all of the groundhogs, this was the only one where the town would jam to polka music while the animal decided our fate. She is also known as the town’s rockstar and takes selfies with the townsfolks.

Hope is only this low because she is still pretty new. She only took over the job in 2021 after the previous groundhog in the town died. Hope the groundhog predicted that there will be an early spring this year.

9. Big Al

Big Al is not a groundhog. He is something better.

Al is an alligator in Texas.

The usual way that groundhogs tell how long winter will last is if they see their shadow or not. Big Al gets offered a chicken breast to eat.

If Big Al chows down the chicken, winter is over. If he does not eat the chicken then winter is still on for another six weeks.

Groundhogs can only do so much to change by looking at its shadow, but Big Al does something fun. Being able to tell the weather from eating or not eating a chicken is really cool and seems like a fun spectacle.

Big Al predicted that there will be an early spring; he had a hearty meal.

8. Mojave Max

Max is a desert tortoise in Las Vegas.

You might think that Max tells the weather based on gambling, but he does not. If he did, he would be higher on my list.

Instead, he starts his hibernation on Feb. 2. Elementary school kids will then do what most people go to Las Vegas do. They guess and bet on when Max will emerge.

If Max emerges past March 16, then it will be a late winter. Otherwise spring has come early.

I wish that this had more to do with gambling, but it is still a very fun and unique gimmick. Anyone can eat a chicken or look at its shadow, but only Max can hibernate.

7. Walnut the Hedgehog

Hedgehogs are the original weather predicting animals. Eventually all the weather predicting small mammals became groundhogs, and now Walnut is the only one left on the Groundhog Day map.

The main reason that Walnut is up here is that she became friends with the original groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil.

Walnut and the other groundhog shared laughter, pears and stories about prognosticating. She was able to learn the art of weather predicting from this moment.

Walnut predicted that spring will come early.

6. Cluxatawney Henrietta

Henrietta is a chicken from New York. Henrietta decides when winter ends not from her shadow but if she will lay an egg. This is not the coolest or most flashiest method, but it is still unique.

However, what sets Henrietta apart is her name. Cluxatawney is a very clever name and elevates this chicken to new heights.

Henrietta laid an egg so she predicted there will be an early spring.

5. Woody the Woodchuck

Woody is the official Michigan prognosticator and has been predicting the weather for over two decades.

Woody has a great name, which is mostly why she is top five. However, she is one of the only groundhogs to not predict the weather with shadow.

Instead, Woody will stand on a tree stump. How long she is up there determines what the weather will be.

This year she got down before the 30 second mark, so she predicted that there will be a longer winter.

4. Lucy the Lobster

Lucy is a lobster from Nova Scotia, Canada.

Lucy kicks off the Lobster Crawl festival in Barrington, Nova Scotia, when she either sees her shadow or does not.

Lucy also has her own children’s book, “Lucy the Lob’STAR,” which details how she became a renowned weather forecaster.

Her photo that was posted for today is Lucy with a yellow hat and a plaid blanket. It is the cutest I have ever seen a lobster look.

Lucy is just too cute and too wholesome to put her any lower than fourth.

She did not see her shadow, so she predicted an early spring.

3. Staten Island Chuck

Chuck is obviously from Staten Island, New York.

He also goes by Charles G. Hogg, which emanates aura.

He starts the top three as he is one of the most accurate groundhogs with an 85% accuracy rate over 31 predictions.

He also bit former Mayor Michael Bloomberg during a Groundhog Day celebration.

That was not the only run in with violence that a New York groundhog faced with a mayor. A stand in for Chuck, Charlotte, was dropped by Mayor Bill De Blasio and ended up dying in 2014. Luckily Chuck is still alive and well.

This year he saw his shadow and predicted there will be six more weeks of winter.

2. Woodstock Willie

Willie holds a special place in my heart. He is from Woodstock, Illinois, and is there because the Bill Murray movie, “Groundhog Day” was filmed there in 1992.

It’s a great movie, and now the town of Woodstock celebrates the holiday like they are in Pennsylvania.

People will come from everywhere to see the place where “Groundhog Day” was filmed, and now Woodstock Willie is a celebrity.

He is mostly this high because I remember looking at what Willie saw when I was younger because he was close to me growing up. Also, I remember the movie very fondly and knowing that it was filmed in Illinois and has become a big attraction is really cool.

This year Willie did not see his shadow, so he predicted early spring.

1. Punxsutawney Phil

Who else would be number one other than the original G.O.A.T.?

Punxsutawney Phil from Pennsylvania is the first groundhog in America to predict the weather. In 1887, Pennsylvania introduced the world to Phil, and ever since he has been a global icon on Feb. 2.

Even if you’ve never heard of anyone else on this list, you have probably heard of the immortal Phil. Yes, he is said to be immortal.

According to legend, Phil has been around since the very first Groundhog Day in America. It is said that he stays alive due to the “groundhog nog” elixir that he drinks every year at the Groundhog Picnic.

Phil is the original that spawned all other copies. There could be no other number one.

This year Phil saw his shadow and predicted a longer winter.

Patrick Schmitz can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].