THUNDER BAY — A low pressure system bringing a mixture of heavy rain, snow and strong wind continues to track east toward Northwestern Ontario.
It's prompted Environment Canada to issue a range of warnings, watches and advisories for the entire region.
Up to 50 cm of snow could fall in more westerly and northerly areas, starting Wednesday afternoon or evening before intensifying and continuing through Thursday.
But in the immediate City of Thunder Bay and other communities along Lake Superior, rain will fall instead of snow.
Be prepared "for a really wet day," advised Environment Canada meteorologist Gerald Cheng.
"We're talking about copious amounts – 50 to 70 mm. This will make our friends at the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority sit up because it's a lot of rain in one day, and the bulk will be falling [Thursday]," Cheng said.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Environment Canada updated its rainfall forecast to a maximum of 75 mm in the city by Friday night.
It also issued a rainfall warning for the city, and said residents living at higher elevations might see snow accumulations of up to 15 cm.
Wind gusts from the east of up to 90 km/h in the Thunder Bay area will also pose the risk of power outages from trees falling on lines.
The conservation authority has issued a Flood Outlook Statement that points to the potential for even more rain.
"Approximately 50 to 75 millimetres of precipitation is expected, with a potential for up to 100 millimetres in localized areas," the LRCA said.
The outlook covers the City of Thunder Bay, Neebing, Oliver Paipoonge, Shuniah, O'Connor, Conmee, Gillies and Dorion.
The LRCA said area watercourses are expected to rise because of the storm system, and that localized ponding may be experienced in low-lying areas.
NOTE: A previous version of this story has been updated to include additional information from the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority
