textproduct: Duluth

KEY MESSAGES

- Lingering slick spots are possible this afternoon from patchy freezing drizzle and light snow as the morning clipper exits the region.

- Cold wind chills return tonight, dipping down to 15 to 25 below zero across the Northland by Wednesday morning.

- Strong northwest winds gusting 30 to 40 mph will develop across the region on Friday alongside a sharp cold front which will drop temperatures well below 0F.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 204 PM CST Tue Feb 24 2026

The clipper system that brought a brief round of heavy snowfall rates to the Northland is rapidly exiting to the east this afternoon. While the accumulating snow has ended and all winter weather advisories have been cancelled, a few lingering light snow showers and patches of freezing drizzle may still persist for the rest of the day, particularly across the Arrowhead and northwest Wisconsin. Gusty west winds will continue this afternoon before shifting to the northwest tonight as a strong push of cold Canadian air filters into the area. Skies will gradually clear, allowing actual temperatures to drop below zero for most locations. This will result in cold wind chills ranging from 15 to 25 below zero by Wednesday morning.

High pressure settles overhead for a quiet but chilly Wednesday, with high temperatures confined to the teens. This cold snap will be short lived as a broad ridge begins to build across the central United States, bringing a noticeable warming trend to our region for the latter half of the work week. By Thursday, highs will climb back into the upper 30s, and we could see some light snow brush our northern zones as a weak clipper passes.

Friday will be the warmest day of the week with highs peaking in the upper 30s to mid 40s which means there may be fog over the cold snow pack. However, a sharp cold front will sweep out of Canada by Friday afternoon. This front will bring a significant uptick in winds, with strong west to northwest winds gusting 30 to 40 mph over land maybe even up to 55 mph along the North Shore. There is also a slight chance for snow squalls along this frontal passage with steep lapse rates though most of our area should be rather dry despite the intensity of this developing system south of Hudson Bay - the exception may be Cook County where there's a better chance to get clipped by this larger highly baroclinic system. Behind the front, an arctic airmass will plunge southward, knocking our temperatures well below normal for Saturday and Sunday - probably more than 15 degrees below normal.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 1113 AM CST Tue Feb 24 2026

Improving conditions this afternoon. Some patchy fzdz after the main snow band has passed, so something to keep an eye out for as we've largely lost ice in the cloud per satellite imagery. Still expect a few snow showers to linger through late evening in the areas where some patchy ice aloft still exists. Gusty westerly winds, turn northwesterly through the period and weaken towards the TAF end.

MARINE /FOR NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/

Issued at 204 PM CST Tue Feb 24 2026

Strong west winds this afternoon will shift to the northwest tonight, bringing gusts up to 30 knots across western Lake Superior. Small Craft Advisories remain in effect for all nearshore waters through Wednesday morning. Wave heights of 4 to 8 feet are expected around the Outer Apostle Islands, where a Heavy Freezing Spray Warning is in effect tonight. Conditions will temporarily improve Wednesday afternoon and night as winds diminish to 5 to 10 knots. Gotta watch out for storm force winds along the North Shore Friday evening, solid gales for sure.

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 noon CST Wednesday for LSZ140>146- 148-150. Heavy Freezing Spray Warning from 9 PM this evening to 8 AM CST Wednesday for LSZ146-150.