Weather Blog for Duluth and the Northland

Thursday’s clipper has moved over Quebec today, and upstream we can see the next clipper low approaching. It’s a strong system as well, though not quite as intense as Thursday’s.

A burst of strong warm air advection brought some snow to northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin this afternoon and early evening, with accumulations generally under an inch.

With warm air moving in ahead of the next clipper, temperatures will stay above zero tonight. In fact, the Northland should see a slow rise through the night, reaching into the teens and 20s.

A strong cold air advection pattern will return on Saturday, bringing temperatures down to the single digits below zero to around 10 above, with Saturday night lows ranging from -5 to -20 degrees.

Winds will pick up again tonight, starting from the south with gusts of 15 to 25 mph, then shifting to the northwest on Saturday with stronger gusts of 25 to 45 mph. Patchy blowing snow is expected across the Northland due to these gusty conditions tonight and into Saturday.

The first round of snow is steadily moving east early this evening.

Another wave of snow, possibly mixed with other wintry precipitation, is expected in parts of the Northland from mid-evening into early Saturday morning. Snowfall could total around 0.5 to 1.5 inches in areas of east-central Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin, reaching up to the Duluth area with this second round later tonight.

Radar loop ends 5:42 PM Friday, December 19, 2025.

HRRR model simulated radar forecast through 7 AM Saturday.

Widespread arctic air continues to grip Canada, with western regions and eastern Alaska experiencing frigid afternoon temperatures in the -20s, -30s, and -40s. Faro Airport has reported a bone-chilling -52 degrees, with a wind chill plummeting to -74.

Northeast Minnesota saw widespread subzero temperatures Friday morning, with some of the coldest readings hitting -25 in Ash Lake and -22 in International Falls.

Duluth Airport dropped to -9 degrees this morning, making it the 10th subzero day of the month. For December, the average is usually nine subzero lows.