/Issued 4:15 PM CST, Thursday, January 29, 2015/
Northwest U.S.; Southwest U.S.; Southern/Eastern U.S.; Ohio Valley; Central Plains — all areas that look stormy at times during the next several days. Meanwhile here in the north, same stuff different day when it comes to the weather. Somewhere, Somewhere sunny and 75…I digress. Anyways, the map below is the 7-day total precipitation forecast. Source, Weather Prediction Center.
*37 days! The number of days until we spring forward. Coming up fast.
*Sunset times continue to get later and later next month. On February 1, the sunset in Duluth is at 5:10 PM; on the 28th the sunset is at 5:51 PM.
*The winter of 2014-15 can’t end soon enough. What a lame winter for snow around here.
*January 13…The last time Duluth had a subzero low temperature (Over 2 weeks ago)
*11 subzero nights so far this January in Duluth compared to 23 nights all of January 2014.
*Only 14 subzero nights so far this winter in Duluth compared to 44 nights by this time last winter. Incredible!
Weather Summary for January 29, 2015
Location: northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin
Low pressure of 1006mb was over eastern Ontario while high pressure averaging 1032-1036mb builds east from the western High Plains and southwest Manitoba. Partly to mostly cloudy skies were common Today with some passing flurries. Temperatures have cooled off compared to previous days/weeks. Late day temperatures were in the teens and 20s which is right around average for late January. Winds Today were out of the northwest at 10 to 20 mph with higher gusts — by far the wind was the biggest weather headline Today.
Forecast Discussion for northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin
Short Term Forecast – Confidence: High.
Tonight (January 29)
High pressure moves into the Upper Midwest Tonight. Partly to mostly cloudy skies are expected with lows ranging from around 10 below to the single digits above zero. Winds This Evening will be out of the northwest at 10 to 25 mph. Winds Overnight will be out of the northwest or southwest at 5 to 15 mph.
Friday and Friday Night (January 30)
High pressure moves off to our east while a weak clipper system tracks through the region. Snow showers and flurries will accompany this system with snow accumulations generally less than 1″. Partly to mostly cloudy skies will continue this period with highs on Friday in the teens and 20s, lows Friday Night will range from the single digits to around 20. Southerly winds through Tomorrow Evening at 10 to 20 mph. Winds by late Tomorrow Night will shift out of the west or northwest at 10 to 25 mph.
Extended Forecast – Confidence: High.
Saturday through Monday (January 31-February 2)
This period looks mainly dry at this time except along the South Shore of Lake Superior where some lake effect snow is possible from Saturday Afternoon through Sunday thanks to cold air and north winds blowing across the lake. Highs Saturday will range from the single digits to the 20s with lows Saturday Night in the teens below to single digits above zero. Highs on Sunday will range from the single digits below to around 10 above with lows Sunday Night in the single digits below to around 20 below. Highs on Monday will be in the single digits and teens.
Long Range Forecast – Confidence: High.
(February 3-8)
Minor snow events are possible around the 3rd, and possibly again sometime around the 7th-8th, but the key word here is ‘minor’ — there are no big storms showing up in the models around here through next weekend, and probably beyond that time. Below average temperatures from the 3rd-5th; near to below average temperatures from the 6th-8th.
5 DAY FORECAST FOR DULUTH AND SUPERIOR
.Tonight… Breezy and colder. Partly cloudy. Low 3 below to 2 above. Wind northwest at 15 to 25 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph.
.Friday… Partly to mostly cloudy. Flurries possible during the Afternoon. High 15 to 20. Wind south at 10 to 15 mph.
.Friday Night… Mostly cloudy. Flurries possible. Low 10 to 15. Wind west to southwest at 10 to 20 mph.
.Saturday… Partly sunny. High 15 to 20.
.Saturday Night… Partly cloudy. Low 2 below to 7 below.
.Sunday… Partly cloudy. High 5 to 10.
.Sunday Night… Partly cloudy. Low 5 below to 10 below.
.Monday… Partly cloudy. High 8 to 13.
Normal temperatures for Friday
High: 20
Low: 2
Sunrise Friday: 7:36 AM CST
Sunset Friday: 5:09 PM CST
Tim