Wiarton Willie sees shadow, predicts six more weeks of winter

Folklore has it that if a groundhog sees his shadow on Groundhog Day he’ll flee to his burrow, heralding six more weeks of winter, and if he doesn’t, it means spring’s around the corner.

Ontarians could see six more weeks of winter after one of the country’s best-known groundhogs saw his shadow.

Officials declared a longer winter after Wiarton Willie emerged from his den just after 8 a.m.

This year was the first for the young rodent, which replaced the previous Willie, who died last September.

Meanwhile, Nova Scotia’s famed Shubenacadie Sam had another prediction.

Sam waddled out of his fenced pen at about 8 a.m. local time and wandered around, a sign he was predicting an early end to winter.