Nova Scotia’s celebrity groundhog, Shubenacadie Sam, is predicting a long, cold winter ahead.
The large rodent emerged briefly from her enclosure at a wildlife park north of Halifax this morning – Groundhog Day – and according to her handler, she saw her shadow.
— Shubenacadie Sam (@ShubenacadieSam) February 2, 2022
Folklore has it that if a groundhog sees its shadow on Feb. 2, it will retreat into its burrow, heralding six more weeks of wintry weather. No shadow is said to foretell the early arrival of spring-like temperatures.
For the second year in a row, the event at the park was closed to spectators and was broadcast live on Facebook to comply with the province’s COVID-19 health protection orders.
Living on the East Coast in a pint-sized barn at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park, Shubenacadie Sam is typically the first groundhog in North America to issue a long-term forecast.
Meanwhile, Ontario’s most famous groundhog, Wiarton Willie, was expected to offer a seasonal prediction to a virtual audience just before 8 a.m. EST.