An arctic front will move south across the Northland tonight, bringing scattered showers of snow, rain, and ice pellets to northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. The precipitation should be fairly brief, though a few heavier snow showers could drop a quick 0.5 to 1 inch of accumulation in some areas, while most places will see little more than a trace.
An arctic air mass will move back into the Northland on Friday and stick around into Saturday. While the core of the cold will pass to our east, we’ll still catch a glancing blow, with subzero temps—ranging from single digits to the 20s below zero—likely across much of the region Friday night into Saturday morning.
Gusty north-northwest winds are expected late tonight into Friday, with gusts of 20 to 40 mph likely across northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.
Looking ahead, computer models still aren’t showing any consistent signs of a major winter storm hitting northeast Minnesota or northwest Wisconsin through much of next week. There could be a few weaker systems that bring a bit of snow, but nothing significant based on the current outlook.
HRRR model simulated radar forecast through 3 AM Friday.
It took most of the day with lingering clouds, but some afternoon clearing helped push temperatures above freezing in Duluth for the first time since January 13, when the high reached 37 degrees. Today, February 5, 2026, the high was 34 degrees.
High temperatures, departures, and records for February 5
Brainerd, MN
High: 38
Departure: 14 degrees above normal
Record: 51 set in 1991
International Falls, MN
High: 38
Departure: 20 degrees above normal
Record: 49 set in 2005
Hibbing, MN
High: 37
Departure: 18 degrees above normal
Record: 50 set in 2005
Duluth, MN
High: 34
Departure: 11 degrees above normal
Record: 50 set in 2024
Ashland, WI
High: 33
Departure: 9 degrees above normal
Record: 54 set in 2005
Today, temperatures in South Dakota rose into the 60s and even reached the low 70s, topping out at 73 in Rapid City, while parts of North Dakota experienced highs in the 50s.
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