Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Heavy North Shore lake-effect snow; another January Thaw next week?

Colder Thursday but milder air returns this weekend into next week.

Grand Marais webcam
Grand Marais webcam Wednesday.
City of Grand Marais/Cook County

There’s little snow on the ground around the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota this winter.

But much of northern Minnesota got a fresh blanket of snow by Wednesday morning. You can see the fresh white coating near the harbor in Grand Marais on the city’s webcam on Wednesday. (image above)

Last night, a south wind off Lake Superior produced a localized swath of heavy lake-effect snow around Grand Marais. The highest snowfall totals are slightly inland up the hill.

Here are some select snowfall totals from northern Minnesota as of noon Wednesday.

  • Grand Marais (3 miles NNE) 8.5”

  • Hovland area 6.5”

  • Chisolm 5.7”

  • Hibbing 4.5”

  • Keewatin 4.3”

  • Silver Bay 3.8”

  • International Falls 3”

  • Lutsen 2.8”

  • Two Harbors 2.5”

  • Lester Park 2.1”

  • Duluth NWS 1.9”

Cold front tonight

A cold front is cutting southward through Minnesota today. The front is parking more snow showers. Temperatures behind the front will drop to subzero readings again tonight.

Forecast low temperatures Thursday morning
Forecast low temperatures Thursday morning.
NOAA

It’s a one-day temperature speed bump. Highs on Thursday will hover around 10 degrees in the Twin Cities.

Forecast high temperatures Thursday
Forecast high temperatures Thursday.
NOAA

By Friday and through the upcoming weekend we’ll return to highs in the 20s with some teens north.

Forecast high temperatures Saturday
Forecast high temperatures Saturday.
NOAA

Second January Thaw next week?

Our airflow will turn off the Pacific Ocean next week. That means milder air masses blowing our way. Highs will reach the upper 30s to low 40s Monday through Wednesday next week.

NOAA’s GFS model continues to show pulses of milder air during the afternoon hours Monday through Wednesday next week.

NOAA GFS temperature output
NOAA GFS temperature output between Monday and Wednesday afternoon.
NOAA via tropical tidbits

Stay tuned.