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NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO -- Anyone considering a day of ice fishing a short drive from Thunder Bay should probably head out this weekend while normal January temperatures hold.
Environment Canada said unusual warm weather that made venturing out on area lakes risky last month is to return to the region starting on Sunday.
“It looks like (normal cold weather) will have run its course by the end of the weekend,” meteorologist Geoff Coulson said on Wednesday.
Angling enthusiasts have been breathing a little easier this week about the prospect of salvaging a season.
“Definitely, ice is getting better now with this polar vortex system well established over the area,” said Northwestern Ontario Sportsmen’s Alliance executive director John Kaplanis.
Kaplanis added: “I think most lakes are safe now for ice fishing, however the usual precautions prevail: Don’t assume that any ice is safe, check conditions before venturing out.”
Some social media posts earlier this month put ice-thickness on parts of Shebandowan Lake northwest of Thunder Bay, at 10 inches — or about 25 centimetres. Kaplanis said it was a good sign that some anglers have recently been out on Lake Superior’s Black Bay.
Coulson said warmer temperatures set for Thunder Bay can be attributed to warm air blowing north from the southwestern U.S.
He said the warm trend appears slated to continue through the rest of January, with no system that would bring significant snowfall in the immediate forecast.
So far this month, the average daytime high for Thunder Bay has been -12 C — nearly three degrees warmer than normal for this time of year.
Today’s high is expected to reach -16 C, and -7 C on Sunday.
Snowfall in the city has so far been recorded at about 20 centimetres, just under half of what it normally receives for all of January.
Coulson said Thunder Bay doesn’t appear to be on track to meet the average monthly snowfall amount “at this stage.”
The Chronicle-Journal
