STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- No mayor, no shadow.

Staten Island Chuck predicted an early spring at the Staten Island Zoo on Tuesday. The groundhog emerged from his spacious glass enclosure as city and state officials looked on along with dozens of Staten Islanders.

Mayor Bill de Blasio had opted out on festivities to campaign for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Iowa and in doing so became the target of every official's joke.

"No need to pray while the mayor's away," assured Deputy Borough President and longtime event MC Ed Burke, who was wearing a groundhog-themed tie to commemorate the occasion.

In his first year in office, de Blasio dropped Chuck, a 10-month-old female groundhog named Charlotte. The animal died a week later, although Zoo officials did not say the death was a direct result of the fall.

Since then, however, officials have been barred from handling Chuck -- ending a longstanding, although awkward tradition.

Even Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who was sent as de Blasio's replacement, couldn't keep from ribbing the mayor for his furry fumble.

"I think they sent the shortest elected official in the state," said Hochul.

Public Advocate Letitia James posed for photos with an illustration that a Staten Islander had given her of a groundhog holding a shotgun gun with the accompanying text: "The mayor's not coming? I've been waiting for him."

District Attorney Michael McMahon joked that he was in attendance to investigate "any instances of foul play."

City Comptroller Scott Stringer also played the height card. When he met Chuck, Stringer reported that, "Chuck breathed a sigh of relief. He said, 'all right, you're short. We're okay'."

Wise cracks aside, there was a great admiration for Chuck, who celebrated 35 years of forecasting in 2016. In his time, he boasts close to an 80 percent accuracy rate -- a far better record than America's groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil.

"This really is a teaching lesson," James said. "A teaching lesson because all of us have to be concerned about the environment. We all have to care for one another; we have to care for animals; we have to care for our universe; we have to care for our world. And this is what this is all about."

Under new guidelines established last year, Chuck is now elevated into an enclosure as officials count down -- no mayors' handling require. And with de Blasio kept at a distance in 2015, Chuck correctly predicted an early spring.

"Chuck rises to the occasion," Burke said.

After a few seconds of idling Tuesday morning, Chuck moseyed on out, without a shadow in sight, to nibble on some crackers in his enclosure.

The crowd roared and Hochul unfurled a sign announcing an early spring.

"After what we went through with Jonas and the little bit of snow we had here," she said, "I know there are a lot of parents who are really exited about the prospect of a shorter winter to get you kids off to school and out of the house."

She implored the children in the audience to keep the tradition alive with Chuck, "the oracle of the Island."

"This was the best one," said Victoria DiPaolo, 7, who watched the ceremony with her sister, Nicolette, 5. Both have been at the Zoo for the last three Goundhog Days. "We actually got to see [Chuck]...I liked it because I don't want any more snow."