A strong low-pressure system over eastern Manitoba will drift slowly southeast, reaching far northern Lower Michigan by late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
The Northland will sit in the milder part of this system tonight and into Friday morning, with temperatures staying in the teens and 20s, and a few spots possibly reaching around 30 early Friday. Colder air will then push southeast across the region during the day Friday as low pressure moves off to the east.
The first wave of snow and pellets from the clipper system that swept southeast through the Northland today wasn’t all that impressive, but more snow is on the way from tonight through Friday night. Most of it should stay light, though there could be occasional heavier bursts that briefly cut visibility to a half mile or less.
By 6 PM Friday, most of the Northland can expect about an inch of snow, with some spots seeing up to 2 inches.
The Arrowhead region of Minnesota might get between 2 and 5 inches of snow, while the South Shore snowbelt could see up to 3 inches by 6 PM Friday.
A little extra light snow might fall Friday night, with lake effect snow sticking around along the South Shore in northern Wisconsin, where the most additional accumulation is likely.
NAM 3km model simulated radar forecast through 7 AM Saturday.
You can clearly see the distinct waves of energy rotating southeast out of Canada, linked to the low-pressure system to our north today.
Goes-19 water vapor loop ending 5:40 PM CT Thursday, January 15, 2026.
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…Arctic Air Sunday into Monday…
A strong blast of arctic air is set to hit the Northland on Sunday and linger into Monday, with 850mb temperatures possibly plunging to -30 to -33°C in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin—some of the coldest readings we’ve experienced so far this winter.
Surface temperatures are expected to be in the teens and 20s below zero Sunday night and Monday night, with daytime temperatures on Monday remaining below zero as it looks now.
Note: Another round of bitter cold, possibly even harsher, is showing up in the long-range forecast for around January 23-26, give or take. If it hits, temps could drop to -30 or colder across much of the Northland. For context, the last time Duluth saw -30 or below was February 13, 2021, when it bottomed out at -35.
Along with the frigid temperatures, strong northwest winds are expected as a 1040+mb high moves southeast from western Saskatchewan and low pressure tracks southeast across Lake Superior. This will create a tight pressure gradient between the high and low from Sunday into Monday.
Northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin can expect wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph on Sunday and Monday, with occasional gusts reaching 35 to 45 mph on Sunday. Along the North Shore of Lake Superior, winds could be even stronger, potentially hitting 35 to 50 mph.
These strong winds will lead to areas of blowing snow on Sunday, as well as dangerously cold wind chills Sunday night into Monday.
Euro model wind gust forecast valid 12 PM Sunday to 6 PM Monday.
