From the Duluth News Tribune – Andrew Krueger
The Duluth International Airport reports about 9 inches of new snow from the latest storm, topping 117 inches so far for the season and vaulting the city into seventh place on its list of snowiest winters on record.
Snow was beginning to wind down in the Twin Ports at 10 a.m., said Dean Packingham, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Duluth, but will continue in Minnesota’s Arrowhead and northern Wisconsin into the afternoon.
Snowfall totals ranged from 17.8 inches just east of Superior to just a couple inches on the Iron Range, with areas around the Twin Ports generally reporting 8 to 10 inches.
Driving is difficult in much of the Northland this morning with many of Duluth’s side streets still unplowed. Under the heavy, wet snow, a layer of ice also is making it difficult for even all-wheel-drive vehicles to get traction.
Many schools in the region – including the Duluth, Superior, Proctor, Hermantown and Cloquet districts – announced late Thursday that classes would be canceled today. The University of Minnesota Duluth, College of St. Scholastica, University of Wisconsin-Superior and Lake Superior College also are closed today. Click here for the complete list.
While the main streets in Duluth were plowed throughout the night, the Duluth Police Department was advising limited travel until the storm clears later today. Early morning reports from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office noted drifting snow and spotty plowing on main roads.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation reported difficult driving conditions in Duluth and along the Interstate 35 corridor to the Twin Cities. The Minnesota State Patrol reported four injury crashes, six property-damage crashes and 17 vehicles off the road along state highways in the Duluth District through midnight.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation reported snow-covered highways in Northwestern Wisconsin; for a time officials advised no travel on U.S. Highway 2 between Wentworth and Ashland, and U.S. Highway 63 between Ashland and Hayward. That no-travel advisory was lifted shortly before 8 a.m.
The Duluth Transit Authority reported that regular-route buses will operate as usual today, through there may be some service delays. Routes 9LS, 13U and 18 – serving Lake Superior College and UMD – will not operate because those campuses are closed.
The Duluth airport had received 8.5 inches as of 7 a.m. today – putting the season snow total at 116.7 inches. That vaults the winter of 2013-14 into the top 10 snowiest winters on record for the city – eighth place, to be exact.
Other early-morning snow totals include 13.3 inches at Ashland; 12.5 inches at Oulu in Bayfield County and at Cloverdale in Douglas County; 12 inches at Hawthorne in Douglas County; and 11.5 inches at Maple in Douglas County. Click here for an expanded list of snow totals. The Twin Cities also reported 6-12 inches of new snow.
The good news is that the snow will begin to melt even later today with highs in the mid-30s, near 40 on Saturday and mid to upper 40’s, maybe even 50 degrees later next week.
Well to the north and west of Duluth, there has been little if any snow accumulation. International Falls reported only a trace of new snow as of midnight.
Winter storm warnings remain in effect for much of the Northland, as well as the Twin Cities. Here’s a rundown of the forecast for different parts of the region:
Duluth, Superior, Cloquet, Interstate 35 corridor, Grantsburg
A winter storm warning is in effect until 7 p.m. Friday. Snow will begin to diminish this morning. Widespread storm total snowfall of 6 to 8 inches is expected, with some locations receiving a foot of new snow – mainly in Northwestern Wisconsin. Lesser amounts are expected to the northwest of Duluth. North winds gusting in excess of 30 mph will cause blowing and drifting snow and reduce visibilities to near zero at times.
Iron Range, North Shore
A winter storm warning is in effect until 7 p.m. Friday. Snow will begin to diminish this morning. Widespread snowfall of 4 to 8 inches is expected, with locally higher amounts near Lake Superior and lower amounts to the northwest. North winds gusting in excess of 30 mph, especially near Lake Superior, will cause blowing and drifting snow and reduce visibilities to near zero at times.
Ashland, Bayfield, Hurley, Hayward, Spooner
A winter storm warning is in effect until 1 a.m. Saturday. Snow will continue this morning and begin to diminish this afternoon. Widespread snowfall of 6 to 12 inches is expected, with a narrow band of 12 to 16 inches possible. North winds gusting in excess of 30 mph will cause blowing and drifting snow and reduce visibilities to near zero at times.
Twin Cities
A winter storm warning is in effect until 1 p.m. Friday. Snow, heavy at times, will continue this morning and diminish by afternoon. Widespread snowfall of 6 to 12 inches is expected. Gusty winds will cause blowing and drifting snow.
