Duluth, Minnesota – Winter could tighten its grip across northern Minnesota during St. Patrick’s Day week as colder air pouring south from Canada increases the potential for heavy snow across the Northland just days before the official start of spring.
According to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s 8–14 day outlook, the period from March 15 through March 21 favors above-normal precipitation across the Upper Midwest, while temperatures trend below seasonal averages across Minnesota and the Great Lakes region. The pattern develops as a broad cold boundary stretches south from Canada through the Upper Midwest and into the eastern United States.
That setup could place Duluth, International Falls, Ely, Hibbing, and Grand Rapids in a zone where incoming storm systems interact with colder air, raising the possibility for periods of heavy snow across northern Minnesota.
Drivers along Interstate 35 near Duluth, U.S. Highway 53, U.S. Highway 169, and Highway 61 along the North Shore should monitor conditions if storms begin organizing. Heavy snow and blowing snow can quickly reduce visibility across open areas of the Iron Range and North Shore corridor.
The timing stands out as daylight saving time begins this weekend, yet winterlike conditions may persist across the Upper Midwest even as the first day of spring arrives later that week.
Forecasters expect the mid-March pattern to become clearer over the coming days, and winter weather advisories could follow if storm systems align with the colder air mass across northern Minnesota.
