textproduct: Duluth

KEY MESSAGES

- A Cold Weather Advisory goes into effect this evening through Sunday morning. Wind chills will drop back to 30 below zero tonight.

- Light snow and flurries are likely for the North Shore and portions of northern Minnesota today, with totals under an inch. A lake effect band will pivot to the Bayfield Peninsula on Sunday for more light accumulations.

- A warming trend begins early next week, though temperatures remain below normal for late January.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 225 PM CST Sat Jan 24 2026

The core of the Arctic air mass remains firmly in place across the Northland today. While we are seeing some sunshine this afternoon, it is doing little to help the mercury, with highs stuck between in the single digits below zero. Did notice that a large sheet of ice formed at the far end of western Lake Superior overnight and light westerly flow broke that off and send it eastward - a cool satellite loop if you have a second to check it out.

Tonight, air temperatures will plummet quickly after sunset, bottoming out between 15 and 25 below zero for most locations. Although winds will be relatively light, it takes very little air movement to create hazardous conditions at these temperatures. A Cold Weather Advisory starts at 6 PM this evening and continues through Sunday morning for wind chills as low as 30 below zero. Exposed skin can suffer frostbite in as little as 30 minutes under these conditions. One potential saving grace that is expected to keep temperatures warmer than they could be is a thin veil of cloud cover. Soundings suggest clouds should be present hitting the frost point, but that is only true if this pristine air mass has ice nuclei in it. The GOES Day Cloud Phase RGB suggests that that is the case, so kept temps more towards the 50th percentile tonight.

Light snow and flurries will be common today, particularly across the Arrowhead. A weak disturbance moving in from the northwest is bringing a 20 to 50 percent chance of light snow, though accumulations will generally be a dusting to less than an inch. Lake effect bands are expected to shift inland along the North Shore and eventually the Bayfield Peninsula, Sunday potentially bringing localized light totals through the weekend. Temperatures remain cold and Cold Weather Advisories will likely be needed again Sunday into Monday.

Looking ahead to the start of the work week, a slow moderation in temperatures is expected. Highs will finally climb into the single digits above zero by Monday. A weak clipper system may bring a light dusting of snow Monday night. While we are turning the corner on the most extreme cold, below-normal temperatures are favored to persist through the end of the month with near-normal temperatures expected by early February.

No large systems in sight.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1118 AM CST Sat Jan 24 2026

VFR conditions generally prevail for the next 24 hours. Light southwest winds at 5-10 kts will become light and variable overnight. KINL, KHIB, and KBRD may see a few passing snow showers so put in VCSH this afternoon and evening. KBRD may see high-end MVFR or low VFR ceilings (BKN040) after 06Z, with model guidance suggesting a potential drop to SCT/BKN010 by 12Z.

MARINE /FOR NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/

Issued at 225 PM CST Sat Jan 24 2026

Conditions on Western Lake Superior remain relatively calm for small craft through Sunday. West to northwest winds of 5 to 15 knots are expected with waves 2 feet or less. Heavy freezing spray is a concern given the extreme cold. The next period of gusty winds hazardous to small craft arrives Monday.

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

DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

MN...Cold Weather Advisory from 6 PM this evening to noon CST Sunday for MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038. WI...Cold Weather Advisory from 6 PM this evening to noon CST Sunday for WIZ001>004-006>009. MARINE...Cold Weather Advisory from 6 PM this evening to noon CST Sunday for LSZ142.