textproduct: Duluth

KEY MESSAGES

- Light snow and areas of freezing drizzle may make the evening commute hazardous this afternoon and early evening.

- Very cold temperatures will lead to dangerous wind chills Wednesday night.

- More periods of light snow are expected throughout the week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 254 PM CST Tue Dec 30 2025

The lingering snow showers from this afternoon are gradually tapering off and moving to the southeast as dry air pushes in from the northwest. Some areas are seeing freezing drizzle as the snow exits the Northland as we lose moisture aloft. These are expected to end this evening as all forcing exits with the system. While most of the region will see a break in the precipitation this evening, the South Shore will remain active as cold air flowing over the relatively warmer waters of Lake Superior triggers persistent lake effect snow. Northern Iron County, in particular, should expect these snow showers to continue through Wednesday morning before drier air finally begins to cut off the moisture supply.

A weak weather system will brush our southwestern counties early Wednesday morning along an area of frontogenesis ahead of the cold air mass moving south, bringing less than an inch of light snow to the Brainerd Lakes area. For the rest of the Northland, the main story will be the arrival of a much colder arctic air mass. High temperatures on Wednesday will struggle to reach the low teens, and as the pressure gradient tightens, northwest winds will increase. This combination of cold and wind will lead to biting wind chills throughout the day.

Wednesday night into Thursday morning looks to be the coldest period of the week. With clear skies for at least the first half of the night and light winds under an arctic high, ambient temperatures are expected to drop into the double digits below zero. Wind chills will become dangerous, potentially reaching 35 degrees below zero in the Iron Range, Arrowhead, and Borderlands. Residents should prepare for these conditions now, as a Cold Weather Advisory will likely be needed for the New Year.

Looking further ahead, the region remains stuck in a northwest flow pattern. This means we can expect several more rounds of light, fluffy snow through the end of the week. While significant accumulations are not expected outside of the South Shore snow belts, the frequent light snow could keep roads slippery. There is some evidence of a brief warming trend toward the end of the weekend as a ridge attempts to move in, though confidence in the timing and duration of this warmup remains low.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 542 PM CST Tue Dec 30 2025

Low stratus is looking like it should be persistent for several more hours per observations, despite models suggesting that ceilings may rise to MVFR fairly quickly. Within the IFR stratus, some light snow and freezing drizzle will remain possible for the next few hours. In general, visibility restrictions are expected to be limited with light precipitation rates, but MVFR visibilities are not out of the question briefly. An area of light snow will likely affect BRD for a few hours in the morning, leading to MVFR visibilities. After that, drier air is expected to move in and skies are expected to start clearing, leading to VFR conditions. Expect breezy northwest winds through the period with minimal direction change after they become firmly northwest this evening.

MARINE

Issued at 254 PM CST Tue Dec 30 2025

A Gale Warning is in effect for the North Shore from Taconite Harbor to Grand Portage starting Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning for northwest gusts up to 45 knots. Elsewhere, Small Craft Advisories are in effect for the nearshore waters of Western Lake Superior as northwest winds gust between 25 and 30 knots. Waves will generally be 1 to 4 feet, highest in the open waters and near the Apostle Islands.

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 4 AM to 4 PM CST Wednesday for LSZ121-144-148. Small Craft Advisory from 4 AM to noon CST Wednesday for LSZ140-141. Gale Warning from noon Wednesday to 10 AM CST Thursday for LSZ140-141. Small Craft Advisory from 4 AM Wednesday to 10 AM CST Thursday for LSZ142-143. Small Craft Advisory from 4 AM Wednesday to noon CST Thursday for LSZ147-150.