Snow adds up to half-foot or more in parts of Northland

A prolonged period of light snow added up to a half-foot or more of accumulation in parts of the Northland from Tuesday into Wednesday.

Officially, the Duluth International Airport reported 4.5 inches of snow from this storm system through late Wednesday afternoon. But the National Weather Service in Duluth received reports of as much as 8 inches of snow, from a spotter near Alger, about 10 miles north of Two Harbors.

Snow totals were much less in downtown Duluth and other areas near the shore of Lake Superior, where the snow changed over to rain during the day Wednesday as temperatures climbed into the mid-to-upper 30s.

Other snow totals relayed by the Weather Service through Wednesday evening, with light snow still falling in some areas, included:

• 6.5 inches near Hinckley
• 4 inches at Cloquet
• 3.5 inches near Holyoke
• 3.3 inches at Hoyt Lakes
• 3 inches at International Falls
• 2.3 inches at Ely and near Superior
• 2 inches near Iron Junction

The forecast for Thanksgiving in the Northland calls for quieter weather: cloudy skies, a slight chance of light snow and highs in the 30s, with lows in the 20s; similar conditions are expected on Friday.
The average high for Duluth for this time of year is about 31 degrees; the average low is 17.

Another storm system is expected to bring a wintry mix of snow and rain to the region late Sunday night through Tuesday, the Weather Service reported. Check duluthnewstribune.com for updates on the forecast through the weekend.

• So far this winter the Duluth airport has received 8.6 inches of snow - about 3½ inches below normal for this point in the season.

1/2: "This is a workout. I love it!" said Deborah Plechner as she shoveled heavy, wet snow from her driveway along Calvary Road in Duluth Wednesday morning. (Bob King / rking@duluthnews.com)

2/2: A MnDOT plow truck clears the northbound left lane on I-35 near Esko last week. Bob King / rking@duluthnews.com