Warm and wet November makes for a challenging start to Thunder Bay, Ont., ski season

Record breaking rainfall and unseasonably warm temperatures this month have some winter sport enthusiasts wondering about the season ahead.

Much of northwestern Ontario has seen little to no snow so far this November, and that's been challenging for people looking to get a start on the ski and snowboard season.

"The worst thing is your hands are tied. And we've had the [snow] gun sitting here for a couple of weeks, you know, just itching to get them going and testing them," said Daniel Kardas, co-owner of Mount Baldy Ski Area in Thunder Bay.

Crews at Mount Baldy may begin making snow on their hills beginning this weekend, and Kardas hopes that will catch the attention of customers as membership sales have been a bit slow so far this year.

The downhill ski area also hopes to have its tubing hill ready over the next couple of weeks, but the crews need certain conditions to make snow on the slopes.

"We can blow snow in plus three, plus four [degrees], but it's not optimal. We're looking for, you know, low humidity around anything under 70 per cent humidity. Anything over 70 per cent is a bit harder to work with … trying to make that perfect crystal," Kardas explains.

According to Environment Canada, the daily temperature in November in Thunder Bay is usually around minus 2 degrees. But so far in 2024, the average daily temperature this month is about plus 4 degrees.

The crews at Lappe Ski Centre are also keeping a close eye on winter conditions, especially as they prepare to host the World Trials competition in January.

The Lappe Ski Centre is also no stranger to having to make due with a lack of snow. Just last year, a mild winter left the facility scrambling to get trails in shape ahead of the Ontario Winter Games.

"We ended up doing hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours of shoveling onto the trails. And, and I think a lot of people at the end of last year said, 'I'm never doing that again.' And so, yeah, of course, we're at the mercy of Mother Nature and we're just going to deal with it as it comes," said Eric Bailey, Head Coach of the Lappe Nordic Ski Club.

Members of the Lappe Nordic Ski Club have been participating in dryland training since April, which includes roller skiing.

Bailey said for his skiers, the lacklustre conditions in November can be difficult to manage not just from a training perspective, but also from an emotional perspective.

"You know, bodies take a little bit of a beating … obviously roller skiing on pavement and running on firm trails. And there's a mental toll because you know … they can see some of their friends out West and it's snowing already. You know that their competitors are training on snow," said Bailey.

Looking ahead through the rest of the month, Environment Canada is forecasting some flurries through the coming day, but no significant snowfall. By next week, the weather agency is forecasting overnight lows to reach about minus 11 degrees.