textproduct: Duluth

KEY MESSAGES

- A secondary cold front brings another round of low-impact, light snow tonight into early Saturday, mainly impacting the Iron Range and the Arrowhead.

- Arctic air settles in this weekend, bringing another round of temperatures lows in the low teens below zero and highs in the single digits to low teens above zero.

- A series of weather systems will cross the region next week, with the potential for more impactful snowfall totals arriving Tuesday into Wednesday.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 230 PM CST Fri Dec 5 2025

The Northland will see the tail end of a passing weather system today. Patches of freezing drizzle have been noted in the Twin Ports and may persist in spots this afternoon, which could lead to travel hazards primarily northwest Wisconsin through the afternoon and early evening. Light snow will also persist along our southern area, through the late afternoon. Any accumulation is expected to be minimal, generally less than an inch, but slick spots are possible especially where freezing drizzle falls. Additionally, patches of freezing drizzle have been noted in the Twin Ports and may persist in spots this afternoon, which could add to the travel hazard. This evening and tonight, a secondary cold front pushes through, causing a second round of light snow to develop across the northern half of the region, including the Arrowhead. Lake effect snow is expected to focus on Iron County as an arctic air mass moves into the region, where another one to two inches of accumulation is possible before all activity ends early Saturday morning.

The main story for the weekend is the arrival of a much colder air mass. Low temperatures tonight are expected to be frigid, ranging from -5 to 5 degrees. The cold persists into the weekend with highs struggling to reach the single digits and teens. We expect dry conditions for most of Saturday and Sunday, though a weak disturbance passing well to our south on Saturday might clip our southern border with a few very light snow flurries with little to no accumulation or impacts expected. This pattern of northwest flow will keep temperatures below normal through the start of next week.

The next week looks active with multiple chances for snow. A system is forecast for Monday into Monday night, but current forecast guidance suggests limited impacts due to less favorable conditions from limited frontogenesis and mid and upper level forcing and high lapse rates being offset from each other, with less than three inches of total snowfall anticipated for the area. Attention then turns to a stronger Alberta Clipper system that is forecast to track across the Northern Plains and into the Northland Tuesday into Wednesday. Forecast models show this as a more potent weather maker with better ingredients for heavier snow, including plenty of forcing and frontogenesis, so this is the system we will be watching closely for the potential of higher, more impactful snow totals. Temperatures will briefly warm up on Tuesday ahead of the main system before more frigid air arrives again on Wednesday, dropping temperatures back well below normal for the remainder of the week.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 524 PM CST Fri Dec 5 2025

An arctic front moves through northwest Wisconsin this evening to shift winds from southwesterly to northwesterly through 06Z today. Expect a few hour period of gusty winds to 20 knots post-frontal, but those decrease fairly quickly then as the front moves into the eastern Wisconsin and U.P. overnight. MVFR sky cover and flurries will persist at many terminals through 09Z tonight post-frontal. While some terminals may scour out sky cover from 15-18Z, the primary forecast remains for most to be Broken MVFR still into tomorrow afternoon.

MARINE /FOR NEAR SHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/

Issued at 230 PM CST Fri Dec 5 2025

Westerly winds over Western Lake Superior will decrease slightly through the afternoon before becoming northwesterly and increasing tonight. Winds are forecast to be 10 to 20 knots with gusts up to 28 knots, leading to hazardous conditions for small craft, especially along the South Shore and northern portions of the North Shore. Small Craft Advisories are in effect for these areas of nearshore waters through Saturday morning. Winds will then diminish on Saturday and remain 10-15 kts through Sunday.

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 until 6 AM CST Saturday for LSZ121- 145>148. Small Craft Advisory from 9 PM this evening to 9 AM CST Saturday for LSZ140-141. Small Craft Advisory until 9 AM CST Saturday for LSZ150.