Latest Duluth Area Text Forecast Discussion product from NWS:
600
FXUS63 KDLH 130840
AFDDLH
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Duluth MN
240 AM CST Tue Jan 13 2026
.KEY MESSAGES...
- A wintry mix of freezing rain, snow, and rain may create slick
travel conditions this morning, especially across the
Arrowhead and parts of Northwest Wisconsin.
- Lake-effect snow develops tonight along the South Shore,
bringing accumulations of 2 to 6 inches mainly for Iron
County through Wednesday.
- Another winter system brings widespread accumulating snow to
the Northland Thursday and Friday - looking like 2-5", so a
fairly healthy snow dump.
- Arctic cold returns for the weekend with wind chills
plummeting well below zero with temperatures in the single
digits above and below zero.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 240 AM CST Tue Jan 13 2026
Early this morning, a messy mix of precipitation is moving
across the Northland. Temperatures are hovering near the
freezing mark, allowing for a combination of rain, snow, and
pockets of freezing rain. We have been closely watching
temperatures and trimmed a couple zones out of the Winter
Weather Advisories earlier this morning; however, with dew point
depressions still near 5F, there is still some room for
cooling, so leaving some headlines in place in the event where
evaporational cooling would win out over warm air advection with
dew points in the upper 20s despite air temps in the low to mid
30s. Where this wintry mix materializes, it may create slick
spots on untreated roads, bridges, and overpasses. Precipitation
will taper off or transition to light drizzle and flurries by
mid-morning. Temperatures will remain in the 30s initially but
will begin to fall later in the afternoon as a cold front sweeps
through.
Behind the front, winds will shift to the northwest and become
blustery today, with gusts reaching 25 to 30 mph. This ushers in
a colder air mass before another temperature speed bump on
Friday. As the colder air flows over the relatively warmer
waters of Lake Superior tonight, the lake-effect snow machine
will activate along the South Shore. Areas along the Penokee
Range can expect accumulating snow tonight into Wednesday
morning, while the rest of the region sees clearing skies and
highs struggling to reach the teens on Wednesday.
Forecast guidance suggests an active pattern continues with the
next clipper system approaching Thursday. This clipper will
bring a high probability of widespread snow to the entire area.
This system looks to produce light, fluffy snow that could
linger into Friday. It looks like a healthy dose of 2-5" area-
wide, so plowable snow is possible for many locations.
Once the late-week system departs, the door opens for true
arctic air to flood the Upper Midwest. By the weekend, high
temperatures may struggle to get above zero in some spots, with
overnight lows plunging deep into negative territory. Combined
with the wind, dangerous wind chills will likely require safety
precautions for anyone spending time outdoors as we head into
the weekend and this cold looks to continue well into next week.
&&
.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 1118 PM CST Mon Jan 12 2026
VFR conditions to start the TAF period this evening. However,
expect conditions to worsen Tuesday morning. Expecting a mix of
IFR and MVFR conditions this morning as a wintry mix moves
across the terminals. Freezing rain, snow, and rain are all
possible, creating icing concerns - though temperatures may be
slow to drop far enough with warm air advection counter acting
nighttime cooling. Low-level wind shear will be present early
this morning. Conditions may improve to MVFR/VFR later in the
day, but northwest winds will become gusty, peaking around 25 to
30 knots.
&&
.MARINE /FOR NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/...
Issued at 240 AM CST Tue Jan 13 2026
Conditions will deteriorate rapidly over Western Lake Superior
today. Small Craft Advisories are in effect this morning as
winds increase. By this evening, a Gale Warning goes into effect
for all nearshore waters with north winds gusting to 35-40
knots. Waves will build significantly, reaching 4 to 7 feet,
with higher waves likely along the South Shore tonight. A Heavy
Freezing Spray Warning is also in effect starting late tonight
as colder air interacts with the building waves. While gales are
not expected after Wednesday morning, there will be plenty of
wind and wave action for Small Craft Advisories through the
forecast period.
For the open water discussion, refer to the NWS Marquette Area
Forecast Discussion at weather.gov/mqt.
&&
.DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM CST early this morning for
MNZ010>012-019>021-037.
Winter Weather Advisory until 9 AM CST this morning for MNZ038.
WI...Winter Weather Advisory until 9 AM CST this morning for
WIZ001>003-006>009.
Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM CST Wednesday for WIZ004.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 6 PM CST this
evening for LSZ121-140>148-150.
Gale Warning from 6 PM this evening to noon CST Wednesday for
LSZ121-140>148-150.
Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM CST early this morning for
LSZ142.
Heavy Freezing Spray Warning from midnight tonight to noon CST
Wednesday for LSZ145>148-150.
&&
$$
DISCUSSION...Wolfe
AVIATION...Wolfe
MARINE...Wolfe
NWS DLH Office Area Forecast Discussion
