Quogue Quigley Predicts Early Spring on Groundhog Day

Quogue Quigley, the Hamptons’ weather-prognosticating rodent, did not see his shadow on Groundhog Day, which means spring-like weather will arrive early this year, according to lore.

The groundhog hasn’t seen his shadow since his 2018 debut and predicted an early spring for each of the past three years. He appeared via Zoom this year due to coronavirus restrictions.

“That is fantastic news,” said Susan McKenna, director of operations at the Quogue Library, which hosts the annual event. “We’re very, very excited about that. I know its been a long, long winter, especially with Covid going on.”

The welcome news comes the day after a nor’easter blanketed the East End in snow. Quigley’s forecast matches those of Long Island’s other two groundhogs, Holtsville Hal and Malverne Mel, as well as most tristate area groundhogs, including Staten Island Chuck, New Jersey’s Milltown Mel, and upstate New York’s Dunkirk Dave.

The only tristate area groundhog to agree with the nation’s foremost groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, who did see his shadow — suggesting six more weeks of winter — was Phoebe, a groundhog standing in for Connecticut’s Chuckles on Tuesday.

Quigley lives at the Save the Animals Rescue Foundation, whose mission is “to mitigate the damage done to the wild population through the progress of humans,” according to the group.