911
FXUS63 KDLH 181926
AFDDLH

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Duluth MN
226 PM CDT Fri Sep 18 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Showers today slowly taper in coverage tonight with Drizzle
  continuing into Saturday morning.

- Dangerous swimming conditions expected for the beaches of the
  Twin Ports at times today through Monday.

- Frost is possible each night from Sunday through Wednesday
  night.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 226 PM CDT Fri Sep 18 2026

For the rest of the day, light rain showers will continue this
afternoon before ending from west to east for areas south of US
Highway 2. As we head into tonight, expect overnight drizzle and
patchy fog to develop. This could keep some surfaces wet and slick
into early Saturday morning before slowly ending during the mid to
late morning hours tomorrow. Aside from the rain showers today,
drizzle tonight, and some inland northern Wisconsin rain showers
tomorrow, it is a dry forecast for the region.

Gusty easterly winds will continue into the southwest arm of Lake
Superior this weekend, affecting beaches in the Twin Ports with
dangerous rip currents. While the ongoing Beach Hazard Statement for
today will expire tonight, expect a few more days of these similar
headlines this weekend and into at least Monday.

On Sunday, strong easterly winds are forecast for the southwest arm
and the South Shore. This setup has a 40 percent chance of bringing
35 to 40 mph wind gusts to shoreline locations during the daytime.
While this is not enough for a Wind Advisory, it will be gusty for
any outdoor weekend plans. High pressure will begin to settle over
the area keeping precipitation chances near zero.

As we look toward the extended forecast, frost is increasingly likely
for cold spots of inland northwest Wisconsin and far northern
Minnesota late Sunday night into Monday morning. Frost Advisories may
be needed for that time period, but a zone or two of Freeze Warnings
could also be warranted for areas along the International Border if
skies can clear out.

The forecast trends into show continued cool nights Monday
night and Tuesday night so even additional at least frost and
maybe freeze headlines are likely. High pressure will remain in
control over the Great Lakes region, keeping our weather mostly
clear and quiet from Tuesday through Thursday. High
temperatures will generally hover in the upper 50s to middle 60s
throughout the week.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/...
Issued at 1237 PM CDT Fri Sep 18 2026

Ongoing rain showers south of the Iron Range today continue into
this evening. Expect IFR ceilings today for some terminals in
northern Minnesota and inland northwest Wisconsin. IFR to LIFR
ceilings though become more predominant and widespread tonight
with most terminals also dropping into at least MVFR visibility.
Drizzle, or at least mist, is forecast to accompany those very
low ceilings tonight and could lead to a light amount of liquid
precipitation by early Saturday morning. Ceilings very slowly
lift later Saturday morning as easterly to southeasterly winds
prevail.

&&

.MARINE /FOR NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/...
Issued at 206 PM CDT Fri Sep 18 2026

Hazardous conditions will persist for small craft on western Lake
Superior tonight as northeast winds of 10 to 15 knots gust to
25 knots. A Small Craft Advisory remains in effect from Grand
Marais to Duluth to Port Wing. Gusty easterly winds continue
into the southwest arm and along the South Shore this weekend.
Strong easterly winds are forecast for the southwest arm and
South Shore with a 40 percent chance of 35 knot gusts Sunday
daytime. Gales are possible for Outer Apostle Islands, but also
lesser so for the Twin Ports and Saxon Harbor areas Sunday.

For the open water discussion, refer to the NWS Marquette Area
Forecast Discussion at weather.gov/mqt.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 205 PM CDT Fri Sep 18 2026

There are no fire weather concerns for the forecast period.
Minimum relative humidity values will remain above 35 percent
through the next seven days. Rain showers today, followed by
drizzle tonight, will provide light to locally moderate
moisture to districts south of US Hwy 2. Winds will generally
remain out of the east and northeast through the weekend,
becoming locally gusty on Sunday, before remaining light out of
the southeast by the middle of next week.

See the Fire Weather Forecast product for a more thorough
breakdown of fire weather conditions.

&&

.DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...Beach Hazards Statement until 1 AM CDT Saturday for MNZ037.
WI...Beach Hazards Statement until 1 AM CDT Saturday for WIZ001.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM CDT this evening for
     LSZ141>145.

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...NLy
AVIATION...NLy
MARINE...NLy
FIRE WEATHER...NLy