Actually, it's
Groundhog Day here in the United States. February 2 is the only day of the year when "figure in the shadows" refers to a rodent named Phil. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then spring will come early; if it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will persist for six more weeks. I wonder if there were groundhogs on the Weatherend estate.