THUNDER BAY – Low pressure emerging from the Southern Plains states is expected to deepen and intensify into a winter storm as it tracks northeast towards the upper Great Lakes near Sault Ste Marie by Friday night.
About the only positive is that warm weather in the past couple of days has melted snow leaving places for residents to put snow if it falls. Duluth, as reported on NNL last night is under a Winter Storm Warning.
A large part of northern Ontario is under a Winter Storm Watch as a result.
Regions to the northwest of Lake Superior will be near the edge of the snow, while regions north of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay may experience a freezing rain event later tonight into Friday.
Regions northwest of Lake Superior. Snow is expected to spread across the areas northwest of Lake Superior including the Lakehead at Thunder Bay tonight and continue into Friday.
Total snowfall amounts are expected to remain below the warning threshold of 15 cm per 12 hours, although Thunder Bay may be quite close with 10 to 15 cm expected by Friday night.
Total snowfall amounts will drop off as one heads further away from Lake Superior into northwestern Ontario. Driving conditions will deteriorate once the snow arrives.
Regions north of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. Precipitation from the approaching winter storm is expected to arrive tonight, and will probably start out as ice pellets or freezing rain, with some snow over areas well inland from the upper Great Lakes.
There is some potential for freezing rain to last a few hours before changing over to rain on Friday as milder air and above freezing temperatures move in. Travellers should be prepared for hazardous conditions as untreated surfaces may quickly become icy and slippery. Freezing rain warnings may eventually be required. Environment Canada is closely monitoring the situation.
