Folklore has it that on this morning, February 2nd, if a groundhog can see it's shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. if it cannot see it's shadow, spring is on the way.

In Alberta Balzac Billy is the go to weather rodent and this morning he failed to see his shadow which traditionally means we will have an early spring.

Meteorologist with Environment Canada, Sara Hoffman says they use a bit more expertise when looking ahead at the weather.

"We can look at a forecast anomaly of how much cooler or above normal it will be for a little ways out. So, that might be one way to predict how much time we have left of winter." said Hoffman.

The first official Groundhog Day celebration took place on February 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, USA and was the brainchild of local newspaper editor Clymer Freas,

Groundhog Day is a fun distraction from the dismal dark days of winter. However; with a success rate of around 37 percent by groundhog method, most people will still be tuning into the local weather forecast to get a more accurate update.

 

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