RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – North Carolina’s own weather-forecasting groundhog, Sir Walter Wally, predicts there will be an early spring.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh held its 19th annual Groundhog Day celebration Tuesday. Sir Walter Wally didn’t see his shadow, therefore he’s predicting an early spring.

The state museum in Raleigh says Wally has been right about the length of winter 55 percent of the time since 1998, much better than Pennsylvania’s more famous Punxsutawney Phil, who predicted and early spring Tuesday.

Legend holds that if the groundhog sees its shadow on February 2, another six weeks of winter lie ahead.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.