Meteorologists are tracking a potent low-pressure system sweeping across the upper Midwest on 26 November 2025, with blizzard conditions expected from Minnesota through Michigan and into upstate New York. While the storm’s epicentre is south of the border, the disruption will reverberate in Canada: key land crossings at Sault Ste. Marie, Windsor-Detroit and the Niagara corridor could see reduced capacity, and airlines have begun issuing flexible re-booking policies for flights connecting through Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland.
Yahoo News Canada reports snowfall rates of 2–5 cm per hour and winds gusting to 60 km/h along Lake Superior’s southern shore. Visibility below 400 metres may force intermittent closures on Interstate 75 and the Bluewater Bridge, both critical arteries for Ontario manufacturers operating just-in-time supply chains.
![Great Lakes snowstorm threatens cross-border travel just as Canadians head south for holiday shopping]()
For business travellers, the timing is awkward: many Canadians plan same-day trips for Black Friday sales, and companies often schedule year-end client visits in U.S. cities during Thanksgiving week. Travel managers should activate contingency plans—re-routing through Buffalo or Montréal, booking refundable fares and alerting staff to potential mandatory rest periods for commercial drivers.
The CBSA has warned that weather-related slowdowns, combined with peak volumes, could lead to wait times exceeding two hours at popular crossings. Travellers using trusted-traveller lanes such as NEXUS will receive priority, but only if all occupants are card holders.
Logistics specialists advise shippers to tender freight a day early and to monitor carrier advisories. Rail cargo is less likely to be affected, but intermodal hubs near Chicago may face backlog if highways are impassable.
Yahoo News Canada reports snowfall rates of 2–5 cm per hour and winds gusting to 60 km/h along Lake Superior’s southern shore. Visibility below 400 metres may force intermittent closures on Interstate 75 and the Bluewater Bridge, both critical arteries for Ontario manufacturers operating just-in-time supply chains.
For business travellers, the timing is awkward: many Canadians plan same-day trips for Black Friday sales, and companies often schedule year-end client visits in U.S. cities during Thanksgiving week. Travel managers should activate contingency plans—re-routing through Buffalo or Montréal, booking refundable fares and alerting staff to potential mandatory rest periods for commercial drivers.
The CBSA has warned that weather-related slowdowns, combined with peak volumes, could lead to wait times exceeding two hours at popular crossings. Travellers using trusted-traveller lanes such as NEXUS will receive priority, but only if all occupants are card holders.
Logistics specialists advise shippers to tender freight a day early and to monitor carrier advisories. Rail cargo is less likely to be affected, but intermodal hubs near Chicago may face backlog if highways are impassable.
