NetNewsLedger Weather Desk – Thunder Bay Weather Focus

Thunder Bay – WEATHER DESK – Thunder Bay is firmly locked in the deep freeze this Saturday morning, even if the sky is trying to cheer things up. At 7:00 AM EST, Thunder Bay Airport was reporting light snow and a biting temperature of –23.4°C, rounded off to –23°C for the morning headline.

With a west-northwest wind at 14 km/h, gusting to 34 km/h, it feels closer to –33°C in the wind chill – proper “eyelashes-frosting” weather.

The humidity sits at 61 percent, with a very cold dew point of –28.9°C, and visibility is a clear 24 kilometres, so you can see across the harbour and out toward the Sleeping Giant without trouble. The barometric pressure is 101.9 kPa and rising, a sign that skies are trying to stabilize after the recent snow.

For mid-December in Thunder Bay, daytime temperatures well below freezing and overnight lows in the minus teens and low twenties are perfectly normal. Today’s readings are on the colder side of “typical Thunder Bay winter” – especially when you factor in the wind chill.

Through today, the forecast calls for a mix of sun and cloud, which means the city will likely see bright blue patches between passing clouds. It will look beautiful, but the air will tell a different story.

Winds will pick up to northwest 20 km/h, gusting to 40 km/h, keeping things feeling harshly cold. The afternoon high will only reach about –16°C, and with the wind, the wind chill will sit near –34°C this morning and around –25°C this afternoon. That’s well into frostbite-risk territory, especially for exposed skin. This is not the kind of day to skip the mitts or the toque.

Tonight, skies become partly cloudy, but the cold hangs on. The northwest wind around 20 km/h gusting to 40 km/hwill ease to light before morning, and the low will drop to around –22°C. Even as the wind fades toward dawn, the wind chill will stay near –28°C, enough to make any early-morning dog walks, snow-clearing, or late-night drives feel pretty unforgiving.

Sunday keeps the pattern going, with a mix of sun and cloud and a high near –13°C. Skies will turn cloudy late in the afternoon, ahead of the next system. Winds will be light, up to 15 km/h, but the wind chill will still sit near –32°C in the morning and around –20°C in the afternoon. Once again, frostbite risk is flagged, especially earlier in the day. Sunday night turns cloudy with a 60 percent chance of snow and a low near –13°C, setting up for another round of flakes.

On Monday, Thunder Bay will see cloudy skies with a 30 percent chance of flurries and a high near –9°C – still very much winter, but a touch more forgiving than the weekend. Monday night remains cloudy with a low around –15°C.

Looking a little further ahead, the pattern trends toward slightly milder days with more cloud and flurries:

• Tuesday: Cloudy with a high near 1°C, low around –3°C.

• Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of flurries and a high near 2°C, then a chance of flurries or rain showers Wednesday night with a low near –3°C.

• Thursday: A 30 percent chance of flurries and a high near –4°C, then a colder night around –18°C with flurries possible.

• Friday: Periods of snow and a high near –5°C.

In short: today and tonight are the deep-freeze days. After that, it warms a bit, but we stay snowy and unsettled.

What to Wear in Thunder Bay Today

This is “full armour” winter weather, not “throw on a light jacket” territory. To stay safe and reasonably comfortable in wind chills dipping into the –30s:

Start with a thermal or fleece base layer on both top and bottom to trap your body heat. Add a warm mid-layer – a sweater or hoodie – and finish with a heavy, insulated winter jacket that blocks the wind. On your legs, snow pants or insulated pants are a smart choice if you’re walking more than a few minutes, shovelling, heading out to the trails, or standing around watching outdoor sports.

On your feet, go with proper insulated winter boots and thick socks; thin sneakers will have you regretting life choices within a block. A toque that covers your ears, thick mitts instead of thin gloves, and a scarf or neck warmer to pull up over your nose and mouth are essential when wind chills are near –30°C.

With sun in the forecast, sunglasses will help cut down the glare from the snow – especially important if you’re driving along Dawson Road, River Street, or anywhere the sun hits low and bright.

Thunder Bay Weather Trivia – Sunshine and Serious Cold

Thunder Bay’s winters are a bit of a paradox: the city often enjoys more sunshine than many southern Ontario communities, but that blue sky comes with a price – colder Arctic air streaming in from the northwest. That’s why days like today can look absolutely gorgeous, with crisp light and long shadows, while your face is telling you it’s anything but gentle outside.

For many locals, this kind of cold is also what makes winter work: strong ice on inland lakes, crunchy snow that squeaks under your boots, and perfect conditions for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and winter hiking – as long as you suit up properly.

Last Words on today’s weather:
Thunder Bay plunges to –23°C with wind chills near –34 this morning, sunshine and cloud through the day, and a deep freeze continuing into Sunday with frostbite risk.