THUNDER BAY — Many Thunder Bay homeowners are running out of places to pile the snow from their driveways.
The snow is getting deeper, the snowbanks are getting taller, and there's more on the way.
Thunder Bay-area climatologist Graham Saunders says the accumulated snow is now 90 centimetres deep – just shy of three feet – at his property 20 kilometres southwest of the city.
In a typical winter, Saunders said, the snow would be 50 to 60 cm deep at this point.
At least one other recording station close to the city reports a current snow depth of 100 cm.
The storm that blew through on Saturday into Sunday brought a fresh fall of 20 cm to Saunders' residence.
So far this winter, he says, he's measured accumulated snowfalls of 267 cm since November.
Saunders said the Thunder Bay area lately has been seeing a parade of Alberta Clippers.
"They're about three days apart. It's very unusual," he said in an interview Monday.
"These storms generate in Alberta and move to the east. We can get various amounts, ranging from one centimetre to 15 or so. At my place I've been getting, fairly consistently, around 10 cm per dump."
One saving grace for people who have to clear their sidewalks and driveways by hand is that most of the snow that's fallen to date has had a low moisture content, so it's easier to shovel.
The next snowfall is expected to start Monday afternoon and continue through Tuesday as a Colorado Low moves in from the U.S.
Saunders said this system may have snow with a higher moisture content than recent snowfalls.
However Environment Canada currently predicts only a moderate amount, with accumulations ranging from four to six cm, possibly followed by a little more on Tuesday night.
Just to the south of Thunder Bay, the U.S. Weather Service forecasts between five and 12 cm for Grand Portage, Minnesota.
