Latest Duluth Area Text Forecast Discussion product from NWS:
714
FXUS63 KDLH 070600
AFDDLH
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Duluth MN
1200 AM CST Sat Mar 7 2026
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Some isolated dangerous travel conditions still exist along
the North Shore and Twin Ports due to dense fog and freezing
drizzle though warming temperatures will help mitigate this
hazard by early afternoon.
- The system then transitions into another round of messy
conditions this afternoon as a warm front moves north with
rain and a few rumbles of thunder, turning into a wintry mix
and snow tonight as a cold front crosses.
- Ice accumulations up to a tenth of an inch and minor snow
amounts under two inches could lead to slick roads through
early Saturday.
- Clippers continue through the remainder of the forecast as
zonal flow brings a train of impulses into the Northland.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 117 PM CST Fri Mar 6 2026
A complex low pressure system moving across the central Plains
will bring a variety of weather impacts to the Northland this
afternoon and tonight. For the rest of the day, ongoing dense
fog and pockets of freezing drizzle will keep travel dangerous,
especially near Lake Superior and along the North Shore where a
Dense Fog Advisory remains in effect until 9 PM. Dense fog along
the North Shore will linger until the cold front crosses.
As warmer air pushes northward, precipitation will largely fall
as rain this afternoon, and a few isolated thunderstorms may
form as instability builds especially across northwest Wisconsin
and the I-35 corridor this evening. MUCAPE is only 300 J/kg or
so, but 0-6km shear is plentiful and strong at 75 KT with long
linear hodographs. No severe threat in my opinion though there
may be a bit of thunder activity with steep mid-level lapse
rates. As the system lifts toward Upper Michigan tonight, colder
air will filter back into the region from the northwest. This
will turn the rain into a wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet,
eventually turning over to all snow from west to east. A Winter
Weather Advisory goes into effect at 4 PM for all of
northeastern Minnesota to cover this icy transition. Didn`t get
too cute on the timing except that know conditions will fall
below freezing this afternoon in Kooch and transition eastward
falling below freezing in Lake County by midnight. Ice
accumulations up to a tenth of an inch are expected, primarily
impacting elevated surfaces and untreated roads. The highest ice
accumulation potential is around the Brainerd Lakes area and
decreases icing amounts to the north. Snowfall amounts will be
minor, generally staying under two inches, but falling
temperatures could cause any standing water to freeze overnight
as temperatures plummet into the lower 20s.
Conditions will improve rapidly on Saturday as the system departs,
leaving mostly sunny skies by the afternoon for much of the area.
A ridge of high pressure will build in for Sunday, bringing much
warmer and sunnier weather to wrap up the weekend. The tight
pressure gradient on the western edge of this high will generate
breezy southwest winds late Saturday into Sunday. Looking ahead to
next week, the pattern remains fast and somewhat uncertain, though
temperatures are expected to settle into more seasonal ranges with
periodic chances for light precipitation. MOdels are fairly in
line with some snow on Tuesday with clipper amounts expected. Looks
like some agreement on a more wound up system late in the week.
&&
.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/...
Issued at 1200 AM CST Sat Mar 7 2026
Widespread LIFR to IFR conditions across the Northland as of
05z, as a cold front moves through the region. East of the
front, rain and drizzle along with low stratus has produced the
lowest conditions. West of the front, visibilities improve to at
least MVFR for most areas, with ceilings remaining in the IFR
category. There is some light snow set to affect the BRD and HIB
terminals in the next several hours which will bring
visibilities to IFR. It will also move east to eventually affect
DLH and HYR overnight into early Saturday morning. The snow
will end from west to east by Saturday morning, with a return to
VFR conditions by late morning/early afternoon for all
terminals. The next system to affect the area to move across the
northern terminals after 01z tonight, bringing some light rain
and gusty southwest winds to INL. LLWS to affect all terminals
beginning around the same time, with strong southwesterly winds
aloft.
&&
.MARINE /FOR NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/...
Issued at 117 PM CST Fri Mar 6 2026
Northeast winds around 5 to 15 knots will continue this
afternoon along with patchy dense fog and periods of drizzle
and rain. Winds will shift to the northwest tonight, increasing
to 10 to 15 knots with gusts around 20 knots. A major shift
occurs late Saturday into Sunday as winds back to the southwest
and increase significantly. A Gale Watch is in effect starting
Saturday evening for the North Shore, where southwest gusts
could reach 40 knots, building waves to 4 to 8 feet across the
western arm of Lake Superior.
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 3 AM CST early this morning for
MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038.
WI...None.
MARINE...Gale Watch from this evening through Sunday morning for LSZ140-
141.
Winter Weather Advisory until 3 AM CST early this morning for
LSZ142.
&&
$$
DISCUSSION...Wolfe
AVIATION...LE
MARINE...Wolfe
NWS DLH Office Area Forecast Discussion
