Weather Whiplash Ahead: Kenora Long Weekend Starts Wet, Turns Wintry, Then Ends in Sunshine
KENORA – WEATHER REPORT – Kenora and the Lake of the Woods region are bracing for a textbook Northern Ontario May long weekend rollercoaster—starting off wet and mild, flipping to frosty and even flirtatious with ice pellets, and finally, settling into a sunny and pleasant Monday.
At 4:00 AM CDT, Kenora Airport is reporting mostly cloudy skies and a humid 13.2°C, with humidity at a sticky 92%. Winds are from the south-southeast at 14 km/h, with a falling barometric pressure of 98.9 kPa, signaling the approaching weather shake-up.
Long Weekend Forecast: Pack the Raincoat, Toque, and Sunglasses
Friday will keep skies moody with showers tapering off around noon, followed by mostly cloudy conditions with a 60 percent chance of lingering showers. Winds will shift eastward at 20 km/h, gusting to 40, before becoming light in the afternoon. Temperatures will climb to a high of 19°C, and the UV index will be a moderate 4. Take advantage of the warmth while it lasts.
Tonight, the weather will take a dramatic turn as periods of rain switch to periods of ice pellets before morning, all while local smoke from Manitoba and northwestern Ontario wildfires adds an eerie haze to the air. Winds will shift sharply from the north at 30 km/h, gusting to 50, driving temperatures down to zero overnight. Yes, you might see your breath by sunrise.
Saturday will keep things cloudy and unseasonably cold with a 40 percent chance of rain showers or, dare we say it, flurries. Daytime highs will struggle to reach 6°C. Overnight, it remains cloudy and cold, dropping to -1°C.
Sunday is the silver lining in the forecast as skies will clear and the mercury rises to a more palatable 11°C. Sunday night will stay clear with a low around 1°C.
Victoria Day Monday is shaping up to be the best day of the weekend—sunny and comfortably mild with a high of 16°C, perfect for that lakeside picnic or campfire. The night will see increasing cloudiness, keeping overnight lows at a more spring-like 6°C.
Advice: Pack for Every Season and Keep an Eye on the Sky
If you’re headed for the Lake of the Woods or setting up at the family cottage, plan for all the extremes. Friday’s warmth will give way to frosty mornings, and yes, some localized smoke might reduce visibility at times. By Monday, though, you’ll finally get that classic sunny May long weekend feel.
Kenora Weather Trivia
Did you know? The latest measurable snowfall in Kenora was recorded on May 24, 1963. So if those flurries show up Saturday, they wouldn’t be record-breaking—but they sure will make for a memorable start to your long weekend.
