Groundhog Day: Shubenacadie Sam predicts early Spring for Nova Scotia

It is February 2, the day celebrated in the United States and Canada as Groundhog Day. On this day, at several sites in both countries, local celebrations are had whilst groundhogs are observed in order to predict the weather of the next few weeks.

Traditionally, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow, it will leave, signifying that Winter will soon end and there will be an early Spring. If it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat into its burrow, signifying that Winter will last for six more weeks.

The most famous of these prognosticating groundhogs is Punxsutawney Phil, who predicts the weather in the borough of Punxsutawney in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. The celebrations in Punxsutawney were the setting of the 1993 comedy movie Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray.

However, on Groundhog Day, Phil is not the first groundhog to make his or her prediction. Due to his easterly geographic lcoation, that honour goes to Shubenacadie Sam, who lives at the Shubenacadie Provincial Wildlife Park in the town of Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, Canada.

This morning, at 8AM local time, with major snowstorms hitting the Atlantic region of Canada, Sam (predicably) did not see his shadow. According to lore, this means there are only two weeks until Spring in Nova Scotia.