NetNewsLedger Weather – Geraldton & Greenstone Region
Thunder Bay – WEATHER DESK – The day is starting out wintry and grey across Geraldton and the Greenstone region, with light snow and a wind that makes the air feel just a little sharper than the thermometer admits.
At 6:00 AM EST, observations from Geraldton Airport reported light snow and a temperature of –10.8°C. With a north-northwest wind near 15 km/h, gusting to 28 km/h, it feels closer to –18°C in the wind chill.
The air is quite moist for such a cold morning, with humidity at 90 percent and a dew point of –12.1°C. Visibility is sitting around 11 kilometres in the light snow, and the barometric pressure at 101.3 kPa is on the rise, suggesting a fairly stable, if cloudy, setup as we move through the day. It is very much a “typical December in Greenstone” kind of morning.
Today will stay cloudy with a 40 percent chance of flurries, especially through the morning and again later in the day. Any snowfall will be light, but enough to keep a fresh dusting on roads, sidewalks and driveways, and to keep the plows and sanders out doing cleanup. The temperature will climb only slightly to a high near –8°C, and with light winds up to 15 km/h, the wind chill will sit near –20°C this morning and around –14°C this afternoon. Even if the wind eases a touch, exposed skin will feel that bite quickly.
Tonight, the cloud hangs on with a 30 percent chance of flurries this evening before tapering back to simple overcast skies. Winds will stay light, up to 15 km/h, but the temperature will dip to about –15°C.
The wind chill will hover near –19°C, which means a trip outside without proper winter gear will feel brisk in a hurry, especially for those out walking, checking vehicles, or taking pets out late.
On Friday, the pattern nudges a bit more active. The day will stay cloudy, and periods of snow are expected to begin in the afternoon, bringing around 2 centimetres of accumulation to the region. Winds remain light, but the temperature will sit around –9°C, with wind chill values near –19°C in the morning and about –12°C in the afternoon. It will not be a major storm, but enough fresh snow to freshen the landscape and make for another day of careful driving and walking.
Friday night brings more periods of snow with the temperature tumbling down toward –22°C. With that kind of cold, any new snow will stay light and powdery, and untreated surfaces will be very slick by Saturday morning.
The weekend keeps the winter rhythm going. Saturday is forecast to be cloudy with a 40 percent chance of flurries and a high near –18°C, followed by a cloudy night with a 30 percent chance of flurries and a low around –22°C. That is a very solid deep-freeze setup for overnight.
On Sunday, a mix of sun and cloud finally returns, bringing a slightly brighter look to the day with a high near –16°C. Sunday night, there is another 40 percent chance of flurries and a low around –19°C, keeping the snowpack topped up and the cold firmly in place.
As we head into next week, Monday is expected to stay cloudy with a high near –12°C and a low around –18°C under continued cloud. Tuesday offers another chance of flurries with a high near –10°C, and Wednesday looks solidly cloudy with a high close to –11°C, keeping Geraldton and Greenstone locked in a familiar stretch of early-winter cloud, light snow, and cold.
For anyone heading out today, this is very much “dress for the wind chill, not just the number” weather. A good approach is to layer up: a warm base layer such as thermal underwear or a fleece top, a mid-layer like a sweater or hoodie, and a well-insulated winter jacket on top. Jeans alone can feel very thin at –18 wind chill, so lined pants or snow pants make outdoor time much more comfortable, especially for kids at recess or adults shovelling or walking.
On your feet, insulated winter boots with thick socks are essential. The combination of light snow and cold will leave many surfaces covered in a thin, slick layer, especially in parking lots and on side streets. A toque that covers your ears, warm mitts rather than thin gloves, and a scarf or neck warmer to pull up over your mouth and nose will help keep frostbite at bay when the wind picks up. With some brighter breaks likely later in the period, a pair of sunglasses can also be handy to cut down on the glare from fresh snow.
For a bit of local weather trivia, the Greenstone region sits far enough away from the Great Lakes that it doesn’t get much of their moderating influence. That means winters here often feature long stretches of steady cold, low cloud, and frequent light flurries—less dramatic than a big southern Ontario snowstorm, but relentless in its own way. It is also why those clear nights can send temperatures plunging quickly, and why people in Geraldton and the surrounding communities are some of the most winter-hardened residents in the province.
Last Word:
Geraldton and Greenstone see –11°C with light snow and flurries today, wind chills near –20, and periods of snow arriving Friday with lows dropping to –22°C.
