Blazing Sunshine and Tropical Nights as Heat Warning Extends Through Midweek

FORT FRANCES – WEATHER REPORT – The heat is relentless across Fort Frances, Emo, Atikokan, and Red Gut First Nation as Environment Canada’s Heat Warning remains in place through Wednesday night. Daytime highs pushing 33°C and sultry overnight lows refusing to fall below 19°C are giving the region a rare and intense early-season heat blast. This is no ordinary spring heatwave—this is mid-summer intensity arriving early and overstaying its welcome.

Scorching Through the Days and Sweating Through the Nights: Forecast Highlights

At 4:05 AM EDT this morning, conditions across the region were already feeling more like a summer evening than a May morning, with temperatures sitting around 20°C. Winds are pumping in from the south at 30 km/h, gusting to 50 km/h—drawing in dry, hot prairie air and baking the area under unseasonably intense sunshine.

Today’s forecast calls for full-on sunshine with south winds continuing at 30 km/h and gusts up to 50 km/h. The high will rocket to 31°C, but it’ll feel more like 33°C with the humidex factored in. The UV index is a blistering 8—very high—making sun protection as essential as water today.

Tonight will be clear but still far from comfortable, with the low barely dipping to 19°C. Winds will finally ease late this evening, becoming light, but don’t expect much relief from the mugginess.

Wednesday continues the oppressive pattern with sunny skies in the morning, giving way to a mix of sun and cloud and a 40 percent chance of afternoon showers. There’s also the risk of a thunderstorm to break up the monotony. The high will peak at a sweltering 32°C, feeling like 34°C with the humidex. The UV index remains locked at 8. Wednesday night will offer a modest cool-down with a low of 17°C under clear skies.

Thursday finally begins to bring the region back toward sanity with a mix of sun and cloud and a 30 percent chance of showers. Highs will ease to 27°C. Rain will move in Thursday night with a low of 13°C.

Friday brings a more profound shift—cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers and a much cooler high of just 13°C. Friday night will continue cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers and a low near 5°C—yes, that’s a 28-degree temperature swing from Wednesday.

Safety First: Hydration and Heat Smarts

With little relief overnight and dangerously hot days, staying safe is key. Dress in lightweight, loose-fitting clothes, seek shade, and drink water before you feel thirsty. Use air conditioning, fans, and shaded areas to cool off, and check on neighbours and vulnerable individuals.

And yes, the classic reminder still stands: never leave children, pets, or anyone else in parked vehicles—these temperatures can turn vehicles into ovens in minutes.

Historical Highs and Lows for May 13

Fort Frances’s record high for today is a fiery 33.1°C, while the record low is -3.9°C. With today’s expected high at 31°C and Wednesday flirting with 32°C, we’re once again nudging into the record books, proving that spring in the Rainy River District is anything but predictable.

Fun Fact: Fort Frances—The Hotspot That Could

Fort Frances, while tucked away on the Rainy River, often becomes one of Ontario’s hottest spots during spring heatwaves, thanks to its inland location and exposure to southern prairie airflows. Locals like to say, “We get all the heat, and the mosquitoes come for free.”