Thunder Bay – WEATHER – A sharp cold front will sweep through Northwestern Ontario on Friday (Feb. 27), bringing a two-part punch: strong winds (gusts 70–80 km/h) and the potential for snow squalls / blowing snow that can drop visibility quickly—especially on open stretches of Highway 17 and Highway 11.

Weather Warnings and Alerts

Kenora, Dryden, Red Lake — Special Weather Statement (Snow squalls / blowing snow)

What: Significantly reduced visibility in snow and blowing snow, winds gusting up to 70 km/h, and 2–5 cm of snow.
When: Friday morning through Friday evening.
Why it matters: Snow squalls may develop along the cold front, and temperatures drop quickly behind it.

Fort Frances & Atikokan — Special Weather Statement (Strong winds)

What: NW wind gusts up to 80 km/h.
When: Beginning late Friday morning, easing Friday evening.
Impacts: Loose objects may be tossed; localized utility outages are possible.

City-by-city forecast (Thu Feb 26 & Fri Feb 27)

Kenora

Late Thu (observed 4:00 PM CST): Light snow, -6.2°C, light south wind, visibility 24 km.
Thu night (Feb 26): Flurries develop late, ~2 cm, low -8°C; SW wind gusting 40 km/h.
Fri (Feb 27): Flurries end early afternoon, then mainly cloudy with a chance of more; risk of snow squalls late morning/early afternoon; blowing snow; winds shifting with gusts up to 70 km/h; high -2°C.
Fri night: Drops hard to -24°C with wind chill near -31 (frostbite risk).

Dryden

Late Thu (observed 4:30 PM CST): Cloudy, -8.0°C, WNW 5 km/h, visibility 16 km.
Thu night: Flurries near midnight, ~2 cm, low -11°C; SW gusts to 40 km/h.
Fri: Flurries end early afternoon; risk of snow squalls late morning/early afternoon; blowing snow; winds gusting up to 70 km/h; high ~0°C.
Fri night: Windy at times; low -25°C with wind chill near -33 (frostbite risk).

Red Lake

Late Thu (observed 4:00 PM CST): Mainly sunny, -7.9°C, light WNW wind, visibility 24 km.
Thu night: Clouds increase with flurries, ~5 cm, low -14°C; SW gusts to 40 km/h.
Fri: Flurries end near noon, then cloudy with a chance of more; risk of snow squalls in the morning; blowing snow late morning/afternoon; winds gusting up to 70 km/h. High -3°C, but temperatures fall to -15°C later in the day behind the front.
Fri night: Low -29°C with wind chill near -36 (frostbite risk).

Fort Frances

Late Thu (observed 4:00 PM CST): Temperature -1.9°C, NNW 17 km/h, wind chill -7.
Thu night: Flurries begin near midnight and end before morning; low -7°C.
Fri: Mainly cloudy with 70% chance of flurries late morning/afternoon; local blowing snow in the afternoon; winds ramp to NW 50 gusting 80 late morning; high +1°C.
Fri night: Gusty early; low -24°C with wind chill near -31 (frostbite risk).

Atikokan

Late Thu (observed 5:00 PM EST): Temperature -6.4°C, light wind, wind chill -7.
Thu night: Flurries begin after midnight; low -10°C.
Fri: Flurries end early morning, then cloudy with 60% chance of flurries; local blowing snow in the afternoon; winds increase to W 50 gusting 80 near noon; high +2°C.
Fri night: Low -21°C with wind chill near -30 (frostbite risk).

Wardrobe and Safety Notes (Thu night–Fri)

• Friday is “windproof day.” Even where temps hover near 0°C, gusts 70–80 km/h can bite and make travel tricky.

• If you’re driving: expect sudden visibility drops in squalls and blowing snow—keep headlights on, leave extra space, and be ready for quickly changing road surfaces.

• Friday night turns dangerous-cold (wind chills near -30 to -36 in spots). Cover exposed skin.

Weather Trivia

Environment Canada notes that a snow squall can be a sudden, localized burst of moderately heavy snow with gusty winds that reduces visibility—exactly why Friday’s “squall risk” wording matters for drivers.

Weather Summary:
Northwestern Ontario weather update for Feb 26–27, 2026 covering Kenora, Dryden, Red Lake, Fort Frances, and Atikokan: light snow and flurries tonight, then Friday’s cold front brings strong winds (gusts 70–80 km/h), blowing snow, and potential snow squalls with rapid visibility drops and a sharp temperature plunge Friday night.