textproduct: Duluth

KEY MESSAGES

- Another round of light precipitation is forecast this afternoon and tonight. Precip is expected to start as rain before changing to snow. There may be a period of light freezing rain over portions of northwest Wisconsin tonight.

- Warming conditions begin today with daytime highs rising above freezing into the 40s and 50s through the rest of the week. - A better organized clipper will move through the region over the weekend. Mixed precipitation is forecast.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 212 PM CDT Wed Mar 18 2026

The sun is peeking out this afternoon in areas roughly south of highway 2. Those areas have reached the mid to upper 30s, with a few spots hitting into 40s, which foreshadows the next few days. In the meantime, a passing system, albeit weak, brings another round of light precipitation. While most areas will remain dry, we do expect light drizzle to freezing drizzle tonight, particularly across northwest Wisconsin. Hayward to Park Falls has ~40 chance of seeing light ice accumulation of 0.01", leading to a light glaze of ice on untreated roads, bridges, and sidewalks. Precipitation will transition to a light mix of light rain and snow before tapering off overnight.

As we move into Thursday and Friday, and as hinted above, much warmer air will overspread our cold snowpack, bringing the chance for fog in the morning. The fog may be stubborn to clear out entirely, but where the sun does break through, temperatures will surge into the 40s for our southern zones. Temperatures become complicated due to the snow pack, warm air, and fog. If the fog develops and persists, temperatures may be 10 degrees cooler than forecast for Friday (currently forecasted to be our warmest day in the forecast period). Thursday night a shortwave will clip the forecast area to the north, bringing the potential for light snow to areas north of Grand Marais.

Looking ahead to the weekend: on Saturday, models still vary as to the placement of the incoming system, but it still looks to bring widespread precipitation. It's still too early to say how much precipitation: The warmer temperatures will remain in place at the start which will result in a mix of rain and snow. If precipitation begins Saturday and changes to snow Saturday night, look for higher totals. If precipitation doesn't arrive until Sunday morning, lower totals are likely. Behind this system, a dry and warmer airmass will settle in for the early part of next week.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/

Issued at 641 PM CDT Wed Mar 18 2026

Off and on precipitation, mainly rain and some spotty drizzle, to start the evening. As temperatures fall below freezing for later this evening, expect some snow and even freezing drizzle to develop for DLH and primarily HYR/northwest Wisconsin. The freezing drizzle at HYR and in northwest Wisconsin may linger into early Thursday morning. Expect conditions to deteriorate to IFR to potentially LIFR for tonight, especially the southern terminals. Also expect fog development tonight into The freezing d A second round of wintry precipitation arrives late this afternoon into tonight, bringing conditions back down to IFR and potentially LIFR. Fog is expected to form in the morning at most terminals tonight into Thursday morning.

MARINE /FOR NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/

Issued at 1040 AM CDT Wed Mar 18 2026

Winds veer westerly this morning. Small Craft Advisory remains in effect for Grand Marais to Grand Portage. Waves will subside to 1 to 3 feet by this afternoon. The next period of hazardous conditions will develop this weekend as a more organized low pressure system moves through the region.

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...None.