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HUNTINGTON, N.S. —

It’s official — according to a Cape Breton groundhog known as Two Rivers Tunnel, winter will continue on for at least six more weeks.

The furry little critter, who calls the Two Rivers Wildlife Park on the Mira River his home, awakened from his winter slumber late Sunday morning to find a fresh snowfall of more than 30 cm covering his door. After stomping about for a bit, the groundhog saw his own shadow appear after the sun briefly burst through the clouds.

Two Rivers Tunnel then went back to sleep away the rest of winter, while the rest of us best pay heed and keep our shovels and snow blowers within reach.

Meanwhile, on the mainland, Shubenacadie Sam also saw his shadow, while Ontario’s Wiarton Willie and Québec’s Fred la Marmotte failed to see their shadows.

According to folk legend, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on Feb. 2 and sees its shadow, it spells another six weeks of winter weather, while no shadow means spring-like temperatures are on the way.

The lore dates back to medieval Europe where farmers thought that spring would soon be on its way if the hedgehogs saw their shadows.

The only available statistics show that groundhogs are correct with their predictions less than 40 per cent of the time.

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