Bob Will coordinates the annual event. Will, a former teacher in Dunkirk, began the tradition 51 years ago by bringing one of his groundhogs that he rehabilitates to his classroom.

Though the location changed from the city school district to his typewriter-fixing business on Farmlane Road, Dave still predicts the weather and he does it well.

Will said Dave is about 93 percent accurate.

“We feel he is the most accurate groundhog because he predicts from the ground, where they should be,” Will said next to his assistant Bill Verge, who was holding a groundhog. “By doing that, we get a more accurate forecast. We see if the groundhog is really excited and wants to go back in or not.”

OBSERVER Photo by Andrew David Kuczkowski. Bill Verge, who assists coordinator Bob Will, watches Dunkirk Dave enjoy his snacks on Saturday morning. Dave did not see his shadow, which indicates an early spring.

When Dave was free to roam on Saturday, he had only one concern: Should I eat the broccoli or the cashews first? If the groundhog saw his shadow, he would show signs of being scared, thus run into his hole or house. Dave did anything but.

2019 was the second year in a row where he did not see his shadow.

Will rehabilitates groundhogs, who were likely injured. When it comes to selecting who will be Dunkirk Dave on the big day, he aims to prevent any distractions that would make it difficult to read the groundhog’s decision. The groundhog could have hormones or face other factors that would change its actions and make the shadow-seeing decision vague.

“Over the years, we have (rehabilitated) thousands of groundhogs; Bill has helped me,” Will said. “Never two look alike, never two have the same personality.”

Some would question why anyone would trust an animal that’s also called a woodchuck in the field of meteorology. Will jokingly hedged his bet to back his little compadre.

Coordinator Bob Will, kneeling on right, speaks to his assistant Bill Verge about Dunkirk Dave. Dave, who is eating his food in front of his home, did not see his shadow, which indicates an early spring.

“Would I bet on it? I would like to think so because we work hard at it to get it right,” Will said. “… Anything can be wrong because the weather can do crazy things.”