textproduct: Duluth

KEY MESSAGES

- A wintry mix of freezing rain, snow, and rain may create slick travel conditions this morning, especially across the Arrowhead and parts of Northwest Wisconsin.

- Lake-effect snow develops tonight along the South Shore, bringing accumulations of 2 to 6 inches mainly for Iron County through Wednesday.

- Another winter system brings widespread accumulating snow to the Northland Thursday and Friday - looking like 2-5", so a fairly healthy snow dump.

- Arctic cold returns for the weekend with wind chills plummeting well below zero with temperatures in the single digits above and below zero.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 240 AM CST Tue Jan 13 2026

Early this morning, a messy mix of precipitation is moving across the Northland. Temperatures are hovering near the freezing mark, allowing for a combination of rain, snow, and pockets of freezing rain. We have been closely watching temperatures and trimmed a couple zones out of the Winter Weather Advisories earlier this morning; however, with dew point depressions still near 5F, there is still some room for cooling, so leaving some headlines in place in the event where evaporational cooling would win out over warm air advection with dew points in the upper 20s despite air temps in the low to mid 30s. Where this wintry mix materializes, it may create slick spots on untreated roads, bridges, and overpasses. Precipitation will taper off or transition to light drizzle and flurries by mid-morning. Temperatures will remain in the 30s initially but will begin to fall later in the afternoon as a cold front sweeps through.

Behind the front, winds will shift to the northwest and become blustery today, with gusts reaching 25 to 30 mph. This ushers in a colder air mass before another temperature speed bump on Friday. As the colder air flows over the relatively warmer waters of Lake Superior tonight, the lake-effect snow machine will activate along the South Shore. Areas along the Penokee Range can expect accumulating snow tonight into Wednesday morning, while the rest of the region sees clearing skies and highs struggling to reach the teens on Wednesday.

Forecast guidance suggests an active pattern continues with the next clipper system approaching Thursday. This clipper will bring a high probability of widespread snow to the entire area. This system looks to produce light, fluffy snow that could linger into Friday. It looks like a healthy dose of 2-5" area- wide, so plowable snow is possible for many locations.

Once the late-week system departs, the door opens for true arctic air to flood the Upper Midwest. By the weekend, high temperatures may struggle to get above zero in some spots, with overnight lows plunging deep into negative territory. Combined with the wind, dangerous wind chills will likely require safety precautions for anyone spending time outdoors as we head into the weekend and this cold looks to continue well into next week.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 535 AM CST Tue Jan 13 2026

VFR/MVFR conditions with the last bits of consistent mixed precip moving through. Freezing rain, snow, and rain are all possible through early afternoon though in less of a robust manner. Conditions may improve to MVFR/VFR later in the day though a period of IFR is possible as a cold front drops down from Canada today. Northwest winds will become gusty, peaking around 25 to 30 knots.

MARINE /FOR NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/

Issued at 240 AM CST Tue Jan 13 2026

Conditions will deteriorate rapidly over Western Lake Superior today. Small Craft Advisories are in effect this morning as winds increase. By this evening, a Gale Warning goes into effect for all nearshore waters with north winds gusting to 35-40 knots. Waves will build significantly, reaching 4 to 7 feet, with higher waves likely along the South Shore tonight. A Heavy Freezing Spray Warning is also in effect starting late tonight as colder air interacts with the building waves. While gales are not expected after Wednesday morning, there will be plenty of wind and wave action for Small Craft Advisories through the forecast period.

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

DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

MN...Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM CST early this morning for MNZ010>012-019>021-037. Winter Weather Advisory until 9 AM CST this morning for MNZ038. WI...Winter Weather Advisory until 9 AM CST this morning for WIZ001>003-006>009. Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM CST Wednesday for WIZ004. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 6 PM CST this evening for LSZ121-140>148-150. Gale Warning from 6 PM this evening to noon CST Wednesday for LSZ121-140>148-150. Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM CST early this morning for LSZ142. Heavy Freezing Spray Warning from midnight tonight to noon CST Wednesday for LSZ145>148-150.