If you were hoping to spend a little extra time at the beach this spring, a pair of wild animals are throwing ice water on that dream this morning.
Both Punxsutawney Phil and Wiarton Willie saw their shadows and, as legend has it, foretold another six weeks of winter, something residents of North Bay have come to take for granted.
Willie tweeted this morning, "Well, for those hoping for 6 more weeks of winter...you've got your wish. I saw my shadow." He emerged from his den just after 8 a.m. It's the first starring role for the new Willie, after the old one died last September.
The belief is based on a German legend surrounding Candlemas. The legend says if a furry rodent casts a shadow that day, winter continues. If not, spring comes early.
Punxsutawney is 65 miles (100 kilometres) northeast of Pittsburgh and Wiarton is on eth south end of the Bruce Penninsula.
The groundhog's prediction is typically contained in a short poem.
"Up early this morning. Far from home.
Are you searching for the Phil-osopher's stone?
Well, even my best friends, they don't know.
Is it an early spring or just more snow,"
Six weeks or not, we can look for a chilly week ahead. It was minus 30 this morning and will struggle to get to minus 18 this afternoon. we won't even see a daily high above minus 10 for at least the next week, and nothing above zero for at least two weeks.
With files from Canadian Press.
