textproduct: Duluth

KEY MESSAGES

- Widespread light snow moves across the Northland tonight and Sunday, bringing total accumulations of 1 to 3 inches for most areas.

- Gusty southerly winds up to 30 mph tonight will create areas of blowing snow and reduced visibility, especially in open areas.

- Hazardous conditions for small craft are expected on western Lake Superior starting tonight due to southwest winds gusting to 30 kt.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 229 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026

Sunny skies and dry conditions will continue the rest of this afternoon across the Northland as high pressure slowly exits to our southeast. Expect temperatures to hold steady in the mid to upper teens and even some low 20s through the remainder of the daylight hours with south winds occasionally gusting to 20 mph.

A fast-moving clipper, will approach from the northwest this evening. Cloud cover will rapidly increase from west to east after sunset. Snow is forecast to begin in north-central Minnesota around or shortly after midnight, spreading across the rest of the region through the early morning hours on Sunday. While overall amounts remain light, a period of moderate snowfall rates are possible before sunrise, which could lead to a quick inch of accumulation. The snow will continue through much of the morning on Sunday before tapering off from west to east during the afternoon and evening. Total snow accumulations will generally range from 1 to 2 inches, though localized spots in north-central Minnesota could see up to 3 or 4 inches. South winds will remain gusty through Sunday morning, shifting to the northwest and weakening by Sunday night as a cold front passes through. Considered a Winter Weather Advisory for the blowing and drifting aspect though with totals still an inch or two away from advisory thresholds, opted to hold off. The HRRR has been trending up with totals though that has been a tendency all winter with the hi-rez models rapidly ramping up accumulations at or right before the onset while holding tight with prior forecasts verified best. So, didn't chase this forecast and stuck to the typical clipper potential without a clear signal to go on the high side of guidance.

Looking ahead to next week, we expect a significantly warmer trend. High temperatures will climb into the 20s for Monday and Tuesday. By Thursday, a stronger weather system may arrive, potentially pushing temperatures into the mid-30s and bringing a mix of rain and snow to the area with more atmospheric moisture content.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY/

Issued at 525 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026

VFR conditions currently in place across the Northland. Satellite shows high clouds rolling in from the west out ahead of an approaching clipper system. This system will bring a surge of southwest winds leading to low level wind shear this evening. Snow will spread in from the west overnight night and encompass the Northland through the morning. Ceilings will also drop to MVFR. The intial wave of snow looks to move out by late morning but there is potential for some redevelopment in the afternoon.

MARINE /FOR NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/

Issued at 227 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026

Southwest winds increase tonight to 15-20 kt with gusts up to 30 kt. Small Craft Advisories are in effect for all western Lake Superior nearshore waters starting tonight and continuing through Sunday afternoon. Waves will build to 2-4 feet, highest toward the North Shore and the Apostle Islands. Winds switch to the northwest Sunday night.

For the open water discussion, refer to the NWS Marquette Area Forecast Discussion at weather.gov/mqt.

DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

MN...None. WI...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 6 PM CST Sunday for LSZ140>144. Small Craft Advisory from 1 AM to noon CST Sunday for LSZ145- 146-148-150.