textproduct: Duluth

KEY MESSAGES

- Storm system number 1 will arrive tonight and bring a mix of rain, snow, freezing rain, and sleet to the Northland through tomorrow night. Strong winds off Lake Superior will lead to blowing snow and reduced visibilities.

- Storm system number 2 arrives Friday and will impact the region into Saturday with rain, snow, freezing rain, and sleet. Widespread travel impacts are expected with both systems.

- The pattern remains active into the new week, but with less impactful northern stream systems.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 340 PM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026

High pressure was located over James Bay and extended southwestward into Lake Superior and the Upper Midwest. Developing low pressure was observed over eastern Colorado. Light radar returns were evident over Minnesota into northern Wisconsin ahead of the developing system, but this activity was not reaching the ground.

Heading into tonight, precipitation will spread across the Northland as low pressure moves into the Central Plains. Precipitation will likely start as snow, but continued dry air near the surface may delay the onset until the early morning hours. Better saturation looks to arrive by sunrise in southern areas. As temperatures warm during the morning, snow will change to a wintry mix of sleet, freezing rain, and snow across our southern zones and lift northward across much of northwest Wisconsin and the highway 210 corridor across eastern Minnesota. The heaviest precipitation is expected during daylight hours. This will limit snow accumulations due to the high early April sun angle. Additionally, with temperatures near freezing, the heavy, wet snow will be able to compact easily as it falls. Areas along the North Shore will likely see some lake and terrain enhancement with winds off the lake. Some of the mixed precipitation may reach into areas along the North Shore during the afternoon. Precipitation will wind down Thursday night with snow across northeastern Minnesota and wintry mix across northwest Wisconsin. Snowfall totals have come down a bit from previous forecasts with 3 to 6 inches expected along with areas of 6 to 8 inches along the Iron Range and North Shore. With the compacting and melting during the day, final measurements will likely be below this. In terms of ice accumulations, 0.05 to a tenth of an inch is expected from far southern Burnett County into southern Washburn, northwestern Sawyer, southern Ashland and northern Iron counties with a tenth to 0.25 inches in areas south and east of those locations, highest across Price County. The current slate of headlines looks good with advisories over much of the region and Winter Storm Warnings along the North Shore and in Price County. Ice accumulations in Price County are currently expected to remain under Ice Storm Warning criteria, but any higher trends may change this.

Following hot on the heels of the first system will be a second Colorado low that will follow a similar path for Friday into Saturday with much of the same impacts expected across the same areas. Heavier snowfall is expected across north-central Minnesota, however, with more moisture expected. Activity will start Friday afternoon with rain, snow, and wintry mix. As colder air pushes in from the west overnight, mix will change to mainly snow across northeastern Minnesota with pockets of freezing rain and mix lingering along the higher elevations of the North Shore. Saturday then looks to be mainly snow across northeastern Minnesota with rain and rain/snow mix across northwestern Wisconsin with activity winding down Saturday evening and changing over to snow prior to ending. Snowfall amounts across northeastern Minnesota will be in the 4 to 8 inch range with the highest amounts from Cass County into northern Lake County where a band of heavy snow may set up. Some lake and terrain enhancement will be possible along the North Shore as well with slightly higher amounts there as well. In terms of ice, there is the potential for significant ice accumulations of 0.25 to 0.30 inches across parts of Ashland, Bayfield, Iron and Sawyer counties. Lower ice amounts up to around a tenth of an inch will be possible from Aitkin County into Pine, southern St. Louis, Carlton and the higher elevations of the North Shore with up to 0.20 inches across portions of Douglas and Price counties. A sharp cutoff in ice and liquid rain is expected across our southern northwestern Wisconsin zones. A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for all of the Northland with this package with upgrades to Winter Storm and Ice Storm Warnings all on the table with future updates.

Northwest flow will be in place for Sunday into the new week. This will bring a clipper system through the Upper Midwest for Sunday into Monday with minimal snow accumulations expected. Highs will warm into the 40s next week with some 50s possible by midweek ahead of the next chance for precipitation.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/

Issued at 653 PM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026

It will be a somewhat tricky near-term forecast with snow now starting to fall at BRD and DLH. Expect there to be a battle between dry air and snow moving in early tonight. An initial wave of snow with some light to perhaps briefly moderate rates should result in some MVFR visibilities at times over the next few hours, but dry air may win out again for a few hours as we approach midnight. Expect visibilities to oscillate a bit between VFR/MVFR and brief IFR visibilities can't be completely ruled out. Snow may affect HYR briefly this evening as well. Following the battle with dry air overnight, expect snow and mixed precipitation to move north and affect all terminals Thursday morning with gradually declining conditions to MVFR/IFR, which are expected to remain through the period. Expect winds to be relatively steady through tonight, then increase and become gusty Thursday, especially at DLH.

MARINE /FOR NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/

Issued at 340 PM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026

Easterly winds will increase tonight into Thursday to 20 to 30 knots with gales to 35 to 40 knots. The strong winds will continue into Thursday night before becoming northerly and diminishing to 10 to 20 knots by Friday morning. Small Craft Advisories and Gale Warnings are in effect for this first system. Reduced visibilities will also be possible with periods of rain, snow, and wintry mix. A second system will impact western Lake Superior for Friday night into Saturday. Winds again become easterly and increase Friday afternoon and Friday night to 20 to 30 knots with gales to 35 knots, highest along the North Shore and along the Bayfield Peninsula and Outer Apostle Islands. Winds will then diminish through the day Saturday as they become northerly at 10 to 20 knots. A few gusts to 30 knots will linger into Saturday night along parts of the North Shore. Additional headlines will be needed for this second system.

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

DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

MN...Winter Storm Warning from 1 AM Thursday to 7 AM CDT Friday for MNZ020-021. Winter Storm Watch from Friday afternoon through late Saturday night for MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038. Winter Weather Advisory from 1 AM Thursday to 7 AM CDT Friday for MNZ010>012-018-019-026-037-038. Winter Weather Advisory until 1 AM CDT Friday for MNZ025- 033>036. WI...Winter Weather Advisory from 1 AM Thursday to 7 AM CDT Friday for WIZ001>004. Winter Storm Watch from Friday afternoon through Saturday morning for WIZ001>004-006>009. Winter Weather Advisory from 1 AM Thursday to 1 AM CDT Friday for WIZ006>008. Winter Storm Warning from 1 AM to 7 PM CDT Thursday for WIZ009. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 7 AM CDT Thursday for LSZ140>147- 150. Gale Warning from 7 AM Thursday to 7 AM CDT Friday for LSZ140. Gale Warning from 7 AM Thursday to 1 AM CDT Friday for LSZ141>147-150. Winter Storm Warning from 1 AM Thursday to 7 AM CDT Friday for LSZ142. Winter Storm Watch from Friday afternoon through late Saturday night for LSZ142. Small Craft Advisory until 4 AM CDT Friday for LSZ148.