Tonight, a strong low-pressure system will track northeast, moving out of southern Iowa toward Green Bay, WI by late evening, and into northern lower Michigan by Friday morning. It will bring widespread precipitation from southern Minnesota through central Wisconsin to upper Michigan overnight. With little cold air around, most of it will be rain, though some cooling on the northwest side could lead to a mix or changeover to wet snow or a wintry mix in parts of southern Minnesota up through upper Michigan.
Note: Duluth should stay dry tonight, though there’s a chance for a bit of light snow late Friday night into Saturday, with less than an inch expected. A cooling trend is coming, but nothing extreme, as temperatures stay above zero through the middle of next week. It’ll be a bit gusty tonight and again on Saturday, with northwest winds blowing at 15 to 25 mph.
HRRR model simulated radar forecast ending 10 AM Friday.
Goes-19 water vapor loop ending 4:40 PM CT Thursday, January 8, 2026.
A strong trough, with 12-hour 500mb height drops reaching 120 meters, tied to tonight’s system, will keep moving east-northeast.
Areas of northwest Wisconsin, from around Siren and Spooner to Winter and Hayward up to Hurley, could get up to 0.10 inches of precipitation tonight through early Friday morning, while the rest of the Northland remains dry.
Much greater precipitation amounts of 0.50 to 1″ or more are expected tonight from southeastern Minnesota to central Wisconsin to central upper Michigan.
Late tonight, parts of northwest Wisconsin south of Ashland could see a dusting to an inch of snow, while areas in northeast Wisconsin and parts of upper Michigan may get between 2 and 6 inches.
…Weather Alerts as of early Thursday evening…
Dense fog that has persisted in the Twin Ports today will finally erode tonight as stronger northwest winds develop.
To the east, a flood watch and winter weather advisory are in effect tonight.
…Light snow chances…
Light snow is expected over parts of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin from Friday night into Saturday as a strong mid- and upper-level system moves southeast across the upper Midwest. Snow accumulation should be minimal, with about 0.5 to 1.5 inches at most.
European model 500mb forecast valid 6 PM Friday to 6 PM Saturday.
