Heavy Snow and Blowing Winds Set to Blanket Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay, get ready to hunker down—Mother Nature is about to throw one last winter tantrum. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect as the region prepares for a significant blast of snow and strong winds beginning Wednesday morning and continuing into early Thursday.

The upcoming system is expected to pack a punch with 20 to 30 cm of snowfall, peak snowfall rates of 3 to 5 cm per hour, and easterly wind gusts reaching up to 70 km/h.

Snow is expected to begin lightly on Wednesday morning and intensify rapidly by Wednesday afternoon, with the heaviest accumulation and strongest winds hitting during the late afternoon and evening hours.

Visibility will be sharply reduced due to both heavy snowfall and blowing snow, especially in open areas and along the Lake Superior shoreline. Winds could gust between 50 and 70 km/h, creating near white-out conditions at times.

Thursday – A Gradual Taper, but Travel Woes Persist

By early Thursday morning, the worst of the snowstorm should taper off into lighter flurries. However, the aftermath—snow-covered roads, low visibility, and lingering gusty winds—means that hazardous travel conditions will likely continue into Thursday. Temperatures are expected to remain chilly, with continued wind chills making it feel even colder.

Historic Weather Note

For April 1st in Thunder Bay, the record high was a spring-like 20.1°C, recorded in 1963, while the record low was a frigid -23.3°C set back in 1975. So while today’s storm might feel like a rude joke, it’s certainly not the coldest April Fool’s Day Thunder Bay has seen.