WIARTON, Ont. - Several of the most revered weather prognosticating groundhogs were roused from hibernation Monday to deliver the news that six more weeks of winter are in store, which an expert of the human variety says actually sounds pretty good.

According to groundhog lore, if it emerges on Feb. 2 and sees its shadow, winter will last another six weeks, and if not, an early spring is in the cards. North America's most celebrated furry forecasters, including Wiarton Willie, Shubenacadie Sam, Balzac Billy, and Punxsutawney Phil -- all cast shadows.

Bad news perhaps, but an Environment Canada forecaster is quick to point out that this is Canada and if winter lasted just six more weeks to mid-March, that would in fact be an early spring.

"The knowledge that we have a lot of winter left to go, I know it's not going to be a popular message for a lot of folks to hear but it shouldn't come as a surprise either," said meteorologist Geoff Coulson.

"Unfortunately, as we look at the weather archives over the years, you kind of realize that it is only a few places in the country that really start to experience spring-like conditions in a consistent fashion by the middle of March.

"That's really more Vancouver and the west coast."

A groan arose from a large crowd gathered in Wiarton, Ont., to hear Willie's prediction when the furry forecaster made it known winter was just settling in.

It was clearly not the answer the crowd of about 200 people, some wearing groundhog noses or carrying signs pledging love for Willie, wanted to hear. There were a few cheers at the prospect of a long winter, but most people looked disappointed -- and cold -- and then shuffled off to work.

Willie emerged from his den and saw his shadow, as did Sam in Nova Scotia. The Maritime groundhog was roused by a town crier and the skirl of bagpipes at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park, about an hour north of Halifax.

About 450 people gathered north of Calgary to watch for Balzac Billy's take on the weather. He came to the same conclusion as his peers.

Had they not cast shadows, as has been the case for Willie the previous four years, it would have signalled an early spring.

No such luck this year, said Mac McKenzie, who founded the Wiarton Willie Festival 53 years ago. He said Willie's never wrong.

"Not Wiarton Willie," said McKenzie, 82. "He always is bang on -- and I use the expression bang on loosely, but that's the way it is."

He said he can't argue with the groundhog's gift of foresight, but wishes the pronouncement had been different.

"This has been the worst winter we've had in years," McKenzie said. "Snow, snow and more snow. So we want less snow next year."

Coulson said this winter has been colder than normal, especially in central and southern Ontario, where temperatures usually vary more and so some precipitation is snow but some is wetter, which cuts down on accumulation.

This winter has seen almost no moderation, he said, so the snow just keeps piling up.

The weather office's climatological models, which look 30 days into the future, predict the deep freeze will relent a bit, Coulson said.

"(But) it may be a case of Mother Nature giving with one hand but taking with the other," he said.

"We will see temperatures that aren't as cold as we've been experiencing for the last number of weeks, but as these low pressure systems move up, we'll be more into the area of mixed precipitation," meaning dreaded freezing rain, he added.

Coulson said Environment Canada is keeping its eye on a storm that could hit the Maritimes and Newfoundland and Labrador on Tuesday. It could come in the form of a significant rainfall or snowfall.

Sam and Willie's American cousin, Punxsutawney Phil, also predicted six more weeks of winter when he stepped into the Pennsylvania sunlight just after dawn.

He emerged in front of an estimated 13,000 witnesses, many dressed in black and gold to celebrate the Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl victory the night before.

The annual ritual takes place on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in Punxsutawney, about 100 kilometres northeast of Pittsburgh.

German tradition holds that if a hibernating animal casts a shadow Feb. 2 -- the Christian holiday of Candlemas -- winter would last another six weeks. If no shadow was seen, legend said spring would come early.