Duluth, Minnesota – A glaze of freezing rain is coating roads across northeastern Minnesota Friday morning, creating slick bridges and hazardous travel during the early commute across the North Shore and inland Iron Range.
According to the National Weather Service in Duluth, a Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until 11 a.m. CST Friday for much of the region, including Duluth, Two Harbors, Silver Bay, Grand Marais, Hibbing, and surrounding communities in St. Louis, Cook, Lake, and Carlton counties.
Ice accumulation between 0.05 and 0.10 inches is possible, with the higher totals expected in northern Cook and Lake counties and central St. Louis County, including areas near Isabella, Hibbing, and the Lake Vermilion region. Even light icing can quickly turn untreated pavement into skating-rink conditions.
Bridges, overpasses, and elevated roadways are expected to freeze first. Slippery sidewalks and parking lots could also create hazards for pedestrians across the Duluth metro and along Highway 61 communities on the North Shore.
The advisory also includes tribal lands of the Fond du Lac Band, the Grand Portage Reservation, and the Bois Forte Band, as well as parts of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, where untreated roads may become particularly slick.
Drivers are urged to slow down and allow extra stopping distance. Officials recommend checking Minnesota 511 road conditions before traveling.
Freezing rain should taper by late morning as temperatures gradually rise, though slick spots could linger into the midday hours. Additional updates may be issued if icing continues longer than expected.
