
A breezy southerly wind will pump in some warmer temperatures this weekend. Expect 10 to 20 mph wind speeds Saturday and Sunday with higher gusts likely both days.
Afternoon temperatures Saturday and Sunday should reach the mid 60s to low 70s across the Northland.
Our next shot for any rain comes Sunday night and Monday, but this won’t help the very dry conditions at all, as rainfall totals look extremely light for areas that happen to get a shower Sunday night or Monday.
Warm pattern is expected to stick around next week with several days having afternoon temperatures in the 70s, to possibly as warm as 80 degrees. Our second summer has arrived!
Note: With almost all of the Northland seeing a freeze or a couple of freezes over the past few weeks, the National Weather Service in Duluth will not be issuing any more frost or freeze headlines this season. Frost and freeze products will resume next spring when the growing season begins.
Map showing the date of first 32 F freeze this season. As you can see most of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin have seen their first freeze this season.
Source: https://mrcc.illinois.edu/

The warmer air currently over the Northern Rockies will be moving east into the upper Midwest this weekend, and should stick around most of next week as well.

Not a whole lot of rain expected over the next 7 days.
Source: https://lab.weathermodels.com/

As winds aloft shift out of the west to southwest this weekend and next week, will see some wildfire smoke return to the Northland.
Source: https://weather.cod.edu/

It’s been a cold September up to this point in Duluth with 76% of days having a below average temperature (blue) while 24% of days so far this month have had an above average temperature (red)
A warmer pattern is likely for about the next week or so, so we should add quite a few more reds on this calendar by this time next week.
Note: The average temperature at Duluth for September 2020 (thru the 17th) is 53.4 degrees which is nearly -5.0 degrees below normal (-4.8 degrees)
Source: https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/

Here’s a look at daily precipitation totals at Duluth, Minnesota for September 2020 (thru the 17th)
Greatest daily precip total so far this month has been 0.27″ back on the 1st, and this also happens to be the last time we picked up at least a quarter inch or more of precipitation in Duluth.

A look at daily precipitation totals at Duluth from August 1st thru September 17th, 2020.
There’s only been five quarter-inch or greater precipitation events in Duluth since August 1st, that’s not good!

A very cold morning across the Northland, with a few locations breaking or tying their record low temperature for September 18th. Hibbing, Minnesota: New Record Low of 21 F set on 9.18.2020; Old Record was 22 F set on 9.18.2012. Duluth, Minnesota: New Record Low of 28 F set on 9.18.2020; Old Record was 29 F set on 9.18.1929. International Falls, Minnesota: Record Low Tied for September 18th with a low this morning of 20 F, this ties the record low for the date which was set in 2012. Ashland, Wisconsin: Record Low Tied for September 18th with a low this morning of 25 degrees, this ties the record low for the date which was set in 1929. |
Here are some other Low Temperature Reports from Friday morning, September 18th, 2020. Source: https://www.weather.gov/dlh/ Seagull Lake, MN: 20 F Babbitt, MN: 20 F Cotton, MN: 20 F Embarrass, MN: 20 F Crane Lake, MN: 23 F Cook, MN: 23 F Hill City, MN: 25 F Solon Springs, WI: 25 F Isabella, MN: 26 F Glidden, WI: 26 F Hayward, WI: 27 F Cloquet, MN: 27 F Siren, WI: 27 F South Range, WI: 27 F Minong, WI: 27 F McGregor, MN: 28 F Esko, MN: 28 F Longville, MN: 28 F Two Harbors, MN: 28 F Washburn, WI: 29 F Hinckley, MN: 30 F Cass Lake, MN: 31 F Danbury, WI: 31 F Hurley, WI: 33 F |

Low of 28 degrees at the Duluth Airport this morning, Friday, September 18th, 2020 is the coldest temperature in Duluth since May 12th, 2020 when the temperature also fell to 28 degrees.

Thanks for reading!
Tim