NetNewsLedger Weather Desk – Kenora, Lake of the Woods, Grassy Narrows & Whitedog

Thunder Bay – WEATHER DESK – Kenora and the Lake of the Woods region are starting Monday in classic December style: cold, cloudy, and lightly snowing, with a messy mix of ice pellets and rain showers on the way before winter reasserts itself later in the week.

The weather is likely to bust wide open travel plans for the first half of this week.

At 5:00 AM CST, Kenora Airport was reporting light snow and –13.0°C. With a west-southwest wind near 4 km/h, it feels closer to –16°C in the wind chill.

The humidity is 82 percent, with a dew point of –15.5°C, and visibility is excellent at 32 kilometres.

The barometric pressure is 101.7 kPa and rising, a sign that we’re in a cold but slowly evolving pattern as the next system approaches.

Long-term December climate normals for the Kenora–Lake of the Woods area typically feature daytime highs in the minus teens and overnight lows dropping into the minus twenties. Today’s numbers fit neatly into the usual Northwestern Ontario winter story – with an added twist of freezing drizzle and rain in the short term.

Today: Cloudy and Cold with On-and-Off Flurries

Through today, skies will stay cloudy, with a 40 percent chance of flurries this morning and early this afternoon. Winds will remain light, up to 15 km/h, but the air will still feel sharp. The high is forecast near –10°C, and the wind chill will sit near –20 this morning and around –13 this afternoon.

It’s not a big snow day, but those flurries will keep roads and sidewalks coated in a thin layer of fresh snow overtop older packed snow and ice, so drivers and pedestrians should still take it easy.

Tonight: Ice Pellets and Freezing Drizzle Risk

Tonight, the risk level bumps up a notch for slipperiness. The forecast calls for cloudy skies with a 60 percent chance of ice pellets overnight, along with a risk of freezing drizzle. That combination is notorious for creating very slick surfaces, especially on untreated roads, steps, and parking lots.

Winds will increase from the south, near 20 km/h gusting to 40 km/h, bringing in milder air aloft. The low will drop to around –15°C, and the wind chill will feel closer to –24°C this evening. It’s a tricky mix: cold enough to be bitter, warm enough aloft to create ice pellets and glaze ice on surfaces.

Tuesday: Rain Showers in December, Then a Quick Return to Flurries

On Tuesday, cloud hangs on, with conditions becoming cloudy in the morning (any brief breaks will be short-lived). A few rain showers are expected to begin in the afternoon, and there’s a risk of freezing drizzle in the morning as that milder air continues to push over the cold ground.

Winds remain from the south at about 20 km/h, and the high is forecast to reach around 0°C. It will still feel like –7°C in the morning wind chill, and closer to –12°C in the afternoon, but the real issue will be sloppy, icy travel as mixed precipitation falls on frozen surfaces.

Tuesday night will bring cloudy periods with a 60 percent chance of flurries or rain showers, and it will be windy, with a low near –17°C. Any wet or slushy spots left over from the day will refreeze solid.

Midweek and Beyond: Back to Snow and Real Winter Cold

On Wednesday, expect cloudy skies with a 30 percent chance of flurries and a high near –8°C. It’ll feel more like regular winter again — no rain, just cold and scattered flakes.

Wednesday night, snow returns with a low near –16°C, and on Thursday, the region is in for snow with local blowing snow and a high around –18°C. That’s a full return to deep winter, with blowing snow reducing visibility and drifting across open stretches of highway and rural roads.

Thursday night turns clear and very cold, with a low near –25°C, and by then things will feel solidly back in “deep freeze” mode.

Looking ahead:

• Friday: A 30 percent chance of flurries and a high near –11°C, then periods of snow Friday night with a low of –18°C.

• Saturday: A 70 percent chance of flurries and a high near –17°C, then a clear and cold Saturday night with a low around –24°C.

• Sunday: A 30 percent chance of flurries and a high near –17°C.

In short: a sloppy, borderline-melting mix today and Tuesday, followed by a classic cold and snowy December patternfor the back half of the week.

What to Wear Around Kenora and Lake of the Woods

With wind chills in the –20 range this morning and more serious cold later in the week, this is still “proper winter gear”weather — even if Tuesday flirts with 0°C and rain.

Layering is your best friend:

• Start with a thermal or fleece base layer on top and bottom.

• Add a warm mid-layer, like a hoodie or sweater.

• Top it with a good insulated winter jacket that blocks wind and sheds light snow and drizzle.

• For your legs, lined pants or snow pants are ideal, particularly if you’re out walking or shovelling or working outdoors.

On your feet, insulated winter boots and thick socks are key — they’ll help with both warmth and traction when ice pellets or freezing drizzle coat surfaces. A toque that covers your ears, thick mitts, and a scarf or neck warmer you can pull over your face will help with wind chill today and be absolutely necessary when temperatures plunge later this week.

With freezing drizzle and ice pellets in the forecast, traction matters: boots with a good tread (or ice cleats if you have them) can make a big difference on driveways and sidewalks.

Lake of the Woods Trivia – Winter’s Mood Swings

The Kenora and Lake of the Woods region is famous for its winter mood swings. Arctic air can plunge temperatures into the –20s and –30s, only for a quick warm-up to nudge things to the freezing mark with rain or freezing drizzle before the cold slams back in. This week is a textbook example: flurries and –13°C this morning, ice pellets and rain showers around 0°C Tuesday, then deep cold and blowing snow by Thursday.

It’s all part of life on the edge of the Prairies and the Canadian Shield — where cold air, Pacific systems, and lake-effect moisture all meet, and where winter seldom stays boring for long.

Last Word on the Weather Focus:
Kenora and the Lake of the Woods region see flurries and –10°C today, ice pellets and freezing drizzle risk tonight, rain showers Tuesday, then a sharp return to snow and deep cold.