Canadian groundhogs concur: early spring in store!
Posted Feb 2, 2012 07:26:15 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Nova Scotia’s most famous forecaster has made his one and only weather prediction for the year.
Shubenacadie Sam emerged from his den Thursday morning and did not see his shadow, which means spring is just around the corner.
Sam was the first of three groundhogs in North America to make the annual prediction, at an event attended by about 150 cheering onlookers in Shubenacadie Wildlife Park.
Punxsutawney Phil in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, saw his shadow this morning – which suggests another six weeks of winter is in store for residents of the U.S. northeast.
However, Wiarton Willie didn’t see his shadow either, confirming that – as far as rodents are concerned – an already mild winter is on the verge of fizzling out.
Shubenacadie Wildlife Park Coordinator Susan Penny says despite an accuracy record of only about 50 per cent, Sam is royalty at the park.
“He’s kept in a heated area in our special facility and he munches away on broccoli and carrots,” she said.
Visitors to the park today were treated to hot chocolate and face painting before a bagpiper heralded the furry prognosticator’s big moment.
News 95.7 meterologist Richard Zurawski says he was expecting Sam’s prediction, noting the latest three-month outlook for Nova Scotia is pretty agreeable.
“We’ve got much milder than normal temperatures, right across Canada for the next three months,” he said. “It’s also showing, in Atlantic Canada, normal precipitation amounts.”
Zurawski says winter will peter out over the next couple of months, and anticipates a warm, dry spring.
