Shubenacadie Sam predicts six more weeks of winter

Best keep the toques and gloves handy, folks.

The East Coast’s furry little forecaster predicts six more weeks of bone-chilling weather, making his forecast by poking his nose out, taking a few nervous steps, then scuttling back inside his hut.

“I don’t want any more winter,” said Stewiacke resident Jennifer Laffin. “I want more spring. I want it to be nice and warm.”

Laffin and her little son John joined hundreds of other families and children who watched groundhog Shubenacadie Sam make his annual spring forecast on Feb. 2 at the Shubenacadie Provincial Wildlife Park.

Her father Patrick Pickles was more upbeat

“I think we’ll get an early spring anyways,” he said.

Unlike some years that saw Sam happily frolic around his pen in front of delighted children, he clearly did not enjoy being outside in temperatures of nearly –20 degrees and hid himself away.

Indeed, the omens look grim for spring, as snow squalls batter Colchester County and a polar vortex plunges Central Canada into a deep freeze. 

“He may not see his shadow in that corner, but I would say his prediction is official,” said town crier Anita Benedict, looking towards a patch of ground near Sam’s hut. If he came over here, he would see his shadow – and back to his burrow he wants to go.”

Legend has it that if the groundhog sees its shadow, winter will continue for six more weeks. No shadow means an early spring.

Shubenacadie Sam has now been offering Groundhog Day forecasts from his pen for 31 years.