textproduct: Duluth

KEY MESSAGES

- A chance of snow Saturday for areas from Brainerd to the Twin Ports and southeast, with the best chance for an inch or more across NW WI.

- A heavy band of lake effect snow may bring a short lived period of intense snowfall to Bayfield and Ashland County late Saturday afternoon into early Sunday morning. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect. Light lake effect snow is expected for Iron and Douglas County.

- Colder temperatures into the work week with additional passing chances of snow.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 229 PM CST Fri Nov 28 2025

Synoptic moisture has been hesitant to get out of the Northland as previously thought, which has led to persistent overcast skies with flurries through today. That should come to an end overnight as cloud bases lift and scatter a bit, winds die down, and slightly more low to mid level dryness briefly interrupts snowflake production. However, with cold 850 temps and a warm lake, some light lake effect clouds and snow may keep up along the South Shore.

Overnight, we finally see northwesterly winds come to an end. On the South Shore and out over portions of the nearshore waters of Lake Superior there, winds should briefly turn southwesterly into Saturday morning, pushing the ongoing lake effect snow (LES) just offshore and into a convergence zone as winds further out on the lake start to become northeasterly. Through the day Saturday, as a larger synoptic system approaches from the south, winds become northeasterly across all of Western Lake Superior and pick up, which should bring this LES band onshore, sweeping from north to southeast as winds turn northwesterly once again into Sunday. The exact placement of this band will be dependent on 1) how far offshore the LES pushes to begin with and 2) the track of the low pressure system to our south, which will dictate how easterly winds over the lake become. If winds are more easterly, a LES band would have the potential to move more over Two Harbors and the Twin Ports. With this forecast, the best confidence is in a LES band or two to primarily impact the Bayfield Peninsula, areas southwest of Chequamegon Bay, and portions of northern Ashland County, and a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect. Based on timing from latest CAMs, this band would move onshore and really get going sometime in the 3-6pm timeframe before pushing south and east. Snowfall rates in excess of 1"/hour are possible as these kind of setups have the potential to overproduce. Our current forecast calls for 1-5" of snow over Bayfield and Ashland County but locally higher amounts of 6" or more are possible.

For that system to our south, some widespread snow is possible for portions of the Northland. A wide trough makes its way into the Central Plains Saturday, on track to bring heavy snow to areas to our south with a surface low pressure tracking from the Oklahoma panhandle to the Quad Cities and over Lake Huron. Areas along the I- 35 corridor and east across NW WI could see an inch or two of snowfall outside of lake effect snow belts, except portions of Price County which could see a little more, 1-4" (A Winter Weather Advisory may be needed here). As winds turn northwest, some light lake effect snow should continue for Iron County and may start up again downstream of large inland lakes Sunday.

Even colder air is expected to be pulled into the Northland behind this system bringing highs in the teens and lows below zero for the beginning of the work week. Through next week, global models are in decent agreement that we'll remain under northwest flow with a low over Hudson Bay. This could spit off some little shortwaves that have the potential to bring some clipper type systems to the Northland with additional light snow accumulations.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 1147 AM CST Fri Nov 28 2025

MVFR ceilings with flurries are expected to continue through this afternoon. Some heavier snow showers are possible at times at HYR through mid afternoon. Ceilings should slowly lift this afternoon and evening, but flurries could continue even with VFR ceilings. Saturday morning, a little light snow could start to come into BRD, otherwise VFR conditions with light winds are expected elsewhere through the TAF period after midnight.

MARINE /FOR NEAR SHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/

Issued at 229 PM CST Fri Nov 28 2025

Northwest winds should continue to calm into this evening, briefly becoming southwest along the South Shore before northeast winds become dominant across Western Lake Superior through the day Saturday. These NE winds have trended up with the latest forecast, with sustained winds of 15-20 knots and gusts up to 25 knots forcing waves of 2 to 6 feet. Small Craft Advisories will likely be needed. Into Sunday, winds become northwest again and strong winds, especially along the North Shore, are likely once more. Gusts in excess of 25 knots are expected and extensions of Small Craft Advisories are possible.

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

DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

MN...None. WI...Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM Saturday to 3 AM CST Sunday for WIZ002-003. MARINE...None.