It’s not even winter yet, and the Georgian Bay lake-effect snow machine cranked up to 11 this week. Thursday’s snowfall was epic, with nearly 2 feet falling in a single day. The lake-effect snow band stalled right over our house despite clear skies in Stayner. I had to clear the driveway three times (20 cm each time) to keep up with new snow and the giant snow banks left by the snowplow. The cover picture of this post was taken early in the morning as the sun rose, looking north along Rigby Drive. This picture could almost be a postcard.
Sunday, December 7th, 2025 – Walking down the beach on Sunday afternoon. Snow squalls to the northeast across the Bay near Christian Island.Monday, December 8th, 2025 – The skies cleared on Monday afternoon. This picture taken looking west from near 57th street.Tuesday, December 9th, 2025 – With steady winds, beach area 5 was frozen and swept clear of snow. Perfect for walking down the beach! Strangely, around Beach 2 and 3, the snow is deep, and the beach is hard to get to, let alone walk on.Wednesday, December 10th, 2025 – Walking down the trail from the Recplex to Shore Lane on Wednesday afternoon after another snowfall.Thursday, December 11th, 2025 – The snow fell all day, faster than I could clear it. This picture was taken just after clearing the driveway for the second time, Thursday, December 11th, 2025 – We are running out of places to put the snow.Friday, December 12th, 2025 – Secondary roads like Shore Lane were hard to get down without a four-wheel drive. There was too much snow on the beach, so I walked down these tire ruts along Shore Lane instead.Friday, December 12th, 2025 – The ice at the Recplex outdoor rink is in great shape this year, with nights getting down into the minus teens.Saturday, December 13th, 2025 – By Saturday, the beach was walkable again with snowmobile trails up and down the full length of the beach.Saturday, December 13th, 2025 – The relatively warm water in Georgian Bay along with cold air temperatures is perfect for generating snow squalls.
