Kenora – Weather Desk – Kenora and the Lake of the Woods region is settling into a true mid-winter pattern this weekend: bitter cold, light snow, and then a burst of strong winds that could turn that snow into blowing snow.

Environment Canada has issued a Yellow Advisory for Blowing Snow for Kenora–Grassy Narrows–Whitedog, with poor to near-zero visibility possible Sunday afternoon into Sunday evening as gusts increase.

Saturday Evening Weather Overview

Current Conditions (Kenora Airport — 5:00 PM CST, Saturday Jan 17)

• Temperature: -19.6°C (Weather Focus: -20°C)

• Condition: Mostly Cloudy

• Pressure: 102.2 kPa, falling

• Wind: NW 7 km/h

• Wind Chill: -25

• Visibility: 32 km

It’s cold but fairly calm early this evening—however, the falling pressure signals the next system moving in.

Sunday’s Forecast

Yellow Advisory — Blowing Snow (Impact: Moderate | Confidence: High)

What: Significantly reduced visibility in blowing snow (near-zero at times in exposed areas).
When: Sunday afternoon through Sunday evening.
Why: Light snow Sunday morning, then winds gusting up to 60 km/h develop as the system passes, creating blowing snow and hazardous travel conditions.

Tonight (Saturday Night)

• Mainly cloudy; periods of light snow beginning overnight

• Wind becoming SW 20 km/h late this evening

• Low: -21°C

• Wind chill -32 overnight

• Risk of frostbite

Sunday (Jan 18)

• Periods of light snow ending early afternoon, then cloudy

• Blowing snow developing in the afternoon

• Snow amount: ~2 cm

• Wind becoming NW 20 km/h gusting to 40, increasing to 40 gusting to 60 early afternoon

• High: -17°C

• Wind chill -33 in the afternoon

• Risk of frostbite

Sunday Night

• Mainly cloudy; blowing snow in the evening

• Wind NW 40 gusting to 60, easing late evening

• Low: -25°C

• Wind chill near -36

• Risk of frostbite

Monday (Jan 19)

• Sunny

• High: -22°C

• Night: Clear, low -26°C

Wardrobe Recommendations

• Tonight: Dress for wind chills near -32—insulated parka, mitts, toque, and a scarf/neck warmer. Limit exposed skin.

• Sunday afternoon/evening: Blowing snow + gusts to 60 km/h can be brutal. Add face coverage, and consider ski goggles if you’ll be outdoors.

• If travelling Sunday: Pack a winter kit (blanket, extra gloves, snacks, flashlight). If visibility drops, postpone non-essential travel and don’t push your luck on open highways.

Weather Trivia

Blowing snow advisories aren’t about big snowfall totals—they’re about wind + loose snow. Even a couple centimetres can produce near-whiteout conditions when winds surge, especially in open country and along lakeshore stretches.