Duluth, Minnesota – Snow and powerful winds are already sweeping across northern Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin, threatening to make travel hazardous through the Friday morning commute as a winter storm intensifies along the Lake Superior shoreline.
According to the National Weather Service in Duluth, a Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 1 p.m. Friday for much of the Arrowhead region and the South Shore, including Duluth, Hibbing, International Falls, Superior, Ashland, and Bayfield. Widespread snowfall totals of 5 to 8 inches are expected, while higher terrain along Minnesota’s North Shore could see between 10 and 13 inches.
Wind gusts reaching 45 mph may create blowing snow and sharply reduced visibility, especially along Highway 61 on the North Shore and U.S. Highway 53 and Highway 169 across northern Minnesota. The strongest snow bands are expected near Lake Superior and in elevated terrain around Isabella and Ely.
The storm also impacts tribal lands including the Red Cliff Band, Bad River Reservation, and Bois Forte areas, along with remote locations such as Voyageurs National Park, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
In Wisconsin’s Price County, including Phillips, heavy snow begins around 7 p.m. Thursday and continues until early Friday afternoon with 4 to 6 inches expected and similar 45 mph wind gusts.
Officials warn that both the Thursday evening and Friday morning commutes could see snow-covered roads and drifting snow. Drivers should carry emergency supplies and check 511 road conditions in Minnesota or Wisconsin before traveling as conditions may change rapidly.
