Thompson is under smoky skies this week as wildfire smoke drifts into the region from fires burning in northern Manitoba and neighbouring provinces. Environment Canada’s forecast shows the smoke will linger through Tuesday before showers and thunderstorms—starting as early as Monday—move in, offering some relief but also bringing unsettled weather.
As of Monday afternoon, the temperature in Thompson was 23°C under mostly cloudy conditions, with smoke affecting the area. The smoke is expected to stay through Tuesday, with a high of 25°C and a humidex of 27. Residents can expect local smoke even under sunny skies, along with northwest winds at 20 km/h.
By Thursday and Friday, the weather shifts to cloudy with a 60 percent chance of showers and temperatures around 23-24°C. Overnight lows will dip to 12°C Thursday night and 13°C Friday night. The rain could help clear some of the smoke, but air quality may still be poor at times.
Mayor Colleen Smook is relaying health officials’ advice for residents to take precautions while the smoke sticks around. She encourages people to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, and run air filters if they have them. For those who must be outside, wearing a mask is a good idea, and strenuous outdoor work should be avoided.
Manitoba remains under a provincewide state of emergency because of spreading wildfires. The 2025 wildfire season was the worst on record, forcing more than 33,000 people to evacuate and resulting in two fatalities. While this year’s fire season isn’t expected to be as bad, the province has still invested in more resources, including a new fire base near Thompson and three new initial attack crews.
For health advice and updates on air quality, residents can check with Environment Canada and The Weather Network.
