Fickle Mother Nature not co-operating for winter sports enthusiasts in northeastern Ontario

People in northeastern Ontario aren't exactly walking in a winter wonderland as the calendar heads into 2024.

At a time when snowmobile trails are typically opening up and ice fishers are staking their spots, the ground remains bare and ice dangerously thin.

Environment Canada meteorologist Gerald Cheng said a warm air mass has been lingering over the eastern part of the province causing some longstanding temperature records to fall over the holidays.

On Christmas Day, Sault Ste Marie had the highest minimum temp at 4 C, smashing the record of 1.7 C in 1932, said Cheng.

Elsewhere, Kapuskasing's Christmas Day high was 4.5 C beating 3.3 C in 1940, and on Boxing Day, North Bay warmed up to 5.1 C, edging out 4.6 C in 1982.

More seasonal temperatures are on the way.

"In the world of weather, nothing lasts forever," said Cheng.

Highs in the minus seven range are expected by Saturday, Dec. 30, he said.

But Cheng couldn't say when the next weather system would bring snow to the region.

The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs says 73,000 permits have been sold, but not a single trail in the province is open.

Thousands of snowmobilers revving their engines

Gerald Sanders is the manager of the  Sudbury Trail Plan, where about 6,500 permit holders are stalled for lack of snow.

"It's a waiting game and we're waiting to see what Mother Nature is going to decide for us," said Sanders. "I'm sure it will come at some point. When and where and how, we're not sure. But again, we're patiently waiting just like everybody else."

Sanders reminded those who might be tempted to take out the four-wheelers that snowmobile trails are off-limits to them.

While some ski hills, such as Adanac in Sudbury, are making their own snow and are open, many other outdoor enthusiasts are waiting for the real thing.

Brian Ramakko owns an outdoor sports store, where he was watching a few customers browsing.

"You're talking to a cross country ski person and a snowshoe person and I've just been looking at them in the corner like everybody else," he said.  "We're all ready to go. I've got two memberships bought and we were talking about it at Christmas and we're all kind of crying to ourselves."

As for ice fishing, Ramakko said some small lakes north of Sudbury were frozen enough to fish on but most aren't.

He does see an up side for those who like to slip into their hiking boots and take a walk, noting that parking lots at parks are full.

"Those folk are happy as they can be," he said. "They're not freezing and they get their walks in. But the cross country ski, snowshoe people, avid ice fisher people, we're not happy."