THUNDER BAY - The month of December brought a mix of typical and atypical winter weather for the Northwest region.
According to Environment Canada’s December weather review, the average temperature in Northwestern Ontario was nearly six degrees above normal last month.
The city of Thunder Bay saw similar temperature trends. The average daytime high in Thunder Bay was -2.8 C, while the average nighttime low was approximately -13.3 C.
The normal average for the city of Thunder Bay throughout the month of December is a daytime high of -6 C and a low of -16 C.
The warmest day of the month came on Dec. 15 when daytime highs reached 6.6 C, while the coldest day, Dec. 29, saw a daytime high of -13.9 C and an overnight low of -26.8 C.
While temperatures were above normal for much of Northwestern Ontario, it did not compare to Southern Ontario, which started the month with temperatures reaching as high as 15 C.
Much of the province experienced a particularly dry December, with many regions seeing well below normal snowfall.
In the Northwest, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, and Sandy Lake received less than 50 per cent of the normal monthly precipitation.
But those living along the shores of Lake Superior received the most snow compared to the rest of the province, and the majority of it fell in a short period of time.
On Dec. 27 and 28, much of the region was hit with a low-pressure system that dumped between 30 and 40 centimetres of snow on Thunder Bay and surrounding areas and caused several power outages.
The average snowfall for the month of December in Thunder Bay is approximately 38.9 centimetres.
The New Year in the Northwest started with a cold spell but quickly warmed up from a daytime high of -15.7 C on New Year’s Day to a high of 2.9 C on Jan. 4.
Environment Canada predicts temperatures will remain above normal in the Northwest for the first two weeks of January and precipitation will remain below average for much of the province.
However, another winter storm watch is in effect for the city of Thunder Bay, with snow expected to begin overnight Sunday and continue throughout the day on Monday. Total snowfall could be between 15 and 25 centimetres.
