A winter storm watch was issued for parts of the Northland on Wednesday, as the first snowstorm of the season remained on track to bring heavy snow to parts of the region late Thursday into Friday.
As of Wednesday night, it appeared that areas well north and west of Duluth - from Bemidji to International Falls and the Iron Range, and then east across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness - had the best chance of seeing the heaviest snow, perhaps as much as a foot in some areas.
Meanwhile, significantly lesser snow totals were expected for the Twin Ports, North Shore, Interstate 35 corridor and Northwestern Wisconsin, which were forecast to remain near the rain-snow line with this storm.
The National Weather Service in Duluth stressed Wednesday that the storm was still more than a day away, and that there still was some uncertainty about exactly where and when the heaviest snow would fall. Check back to www.duluthnewstribune.com for updates.
The Weather Service said rain is forecast to gradually spread into the region Thursday afternoon and Thursday night ahead of a low-pressure system developing in the Central Plains. The rain is forecast to change over to snow from northwest to southeast starting late Thursday night and continuing through Friday. The changeover should occur during the day Friday in the Twin Ports.
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As of Wednesday night the winter storm watch was in effect for central and northern St. Louis County (including the Iron Range), northern Lake, northern Cook, Koochiching, Itasca, Cass, Crow Wing and northern Aitkin counties. Winter storm and blizzard watches also extended across much of western Minnesota.
The watch area may see 6 to 12 inches of heavy, wet snow by the time the storm moves out late Friday into early Saturday, the Weather Service said.
Areas along the Lake Superior shore - including much of Duluth and Superior - may see limited accumulation - only a trace to perhaps a couple of inches in some locations - because of warmer conditions near the water. But a few miles inland to the north and west - at the Duluth International Airport, for example - accumulations may reach 3 to 6 inches, the Weather Service reported.
If the Duluth International Airport does see a measurable snowfall from this storm - at least a 10th of an inch - it will be the first of the season. That’s much later than normal, but it won’t be a record.
The average date of the first measurable snowfall in Duluth is Oct. 24, with the earliest on record occurring on Sept. 18, 1991, and the latest on Nov. 26, 2004, according to the Weather Service.
Strong northerly winds are expected with the storm - a gale warning has been issued for Lake Superior - and they’ll usher much colder air into the Northland, bringing a sharp end to what has been an unseasonably warm stretch of weather so far this November.
Lows are forecast to drop into the low to mid-20s in Duluth on Friday night, with highs in the upper 20s to low 30s on Saturday and Sunday. Lows may drop into the teens on Saturday night and Sunday night.
The average high temperature for this time of year in Duluth is about 35 degrees; the average low is 22.
