An unusual-looking clipper system is set to move southeast from western Ontario on Thursday, cross central Lake Superior Friday, and arrive in lower Michigan by Saturday. It’s expected to bring occasional snow to northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin from Thursday afternoon into Friday. But since it’s coming from Canada with limited moisture, snowfall across the Northland will likely stay in the 1 to 3-inch range according to current forecasts.
It currently looks like snow will start in Duluth late Thursday morning or early afternoon, between 10 AM and 1 PM, though the timing could change over the next few days.
NAM 3km model simulated radar forecast valid 7 AM Thursday to Midnight Friday.
…Strong Winds along the North Shore tonight…
A wind advisory is in effect until 6 AM Wednesday for the North Shore of Lake Superior, with north winds expected to gust up to 45 mph. These strong gusts could bring down tree limbs and possibly cause a few power outages.
It’s been over a week since Duluth saw subzero temperatures (January 4 hit a low of -4), but that’s about to change.
A quick burst of arctic air will sweep south over the Northland, likely bringing subzero readings Wednesday or Thursday morning. Expect lows tonight and Wednesday night between 10 below and 10 above zero, with Wednesday’s highs only in the single digits to teens.
Overall, the upcoming weather pattern looks much colder than what we’ve experienced so far this month. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if parts of the Northland drop into the -20s or even -30s for overnight and morning lows as we head into this weekend and especially next week.
Over the past month, parts of Alaska and northwest Canada have been gripped by frigid air, with temperatures today in the -40s and -50s in Alaska. In recent weeks, some areas of northwest Canada have seen lows plummet to the -60s.
Next week’s weather pattern is shaping up to be more favorable for some frigid air to push south into the upper Midwest. It’ll warm slightly by the time it arrives, but it will still be quite cold.
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