Going into the weekend, the forecast called for some heavier rain for parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin. A couple of inches weren't out of the question as part of the weekend's storm system, but the outcome ended up surpassing what the forecasts initially had in mind.

Rain, heavy at times through the weekend, continued to add up across the region. A portion of the North Shore - specifically from Duluth to the Two Harbors area seemed to be the hardest hit.

Lake Superior played a role in the heavy rain.

People who follow Northland weather are used to lake enhancement when it comes to winter weather. Lake enhancement in those winter events is usually some combination of temperature and moisture contributions from the lake and the elevation changes along the shoreline promoting lift in the atmosphere and "wringing out" moisture from the air.

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Some of those factors were at play along the North Shore this weekend, with spots in Duluth and Two Harbors seeing several more inches of rain reported in comparison to other areas around the region.

The Duluth office of the National Weather Service shared an official measurement of 4 inches of rain at their location near the Duluth International Airport in a 48-hour period ending at 1:20 pm Sunday.

That's a pretty sizable amount of rain for our area in that kind of timeframe. Some places saw even more than that!

That heavy rain led to rivers and streams swelling and flooding that closed some Duluth roads and impacted sanitary sewer systems in town. Here's the latest update from the City of Duluth. Here's a visual of Amnity Creek near Lester Park raging on Sunday.

Here's a breakdown of rain reports from around the Northland over the course of Saturday and Sunday - with the top places seeing over 5 inches of rain over the weekend!

Top Rainfall Totals In Northern Minnesota & Wisconsin September 23-24, 2023

  • 1.15 inches - Grand Marais, MN
  • 1.3 inches - Port Wing, WI
  • 1.31 inches - Ashland, WI
  • 1.49 inches - Grand Rapids, MN
  • 1.5 inches - Hibbing, MN
  • 1.63 inches - Cook, MN
  • 1.72 inches - Aitkin, MN
  • 1.78 inches - Solon Springs, WI
  • 1.96 inches - Moose Lake, MN
  • 1.99 inches - Silver Bay, MN
  • 2.08 inches - Maple, WI
  • 2.1 inches - Embarrass, MN
  • 2.32 inches - Poplar, WI
  • 2.41 inches - Superior, WI
  • 2.43 inches - Wrenshall, MN
  • 2.44 inches - Superior, WI Billings Park neighborhood
  • 2.52 inches - Cloquet, MN
  • 2.67 inches - North of Cloquet, MN on MN 33 near Morris Thomas Rd.
  • 2.75 inches - Makinen, MN
  • 3.0 inches - Hermantown, MN
  • 3.03 inches - Two Harbors, MN near golf course
  • 3.22 inches - Two Harbors, MN near the harbor
  • 3.25 inches - Duluth, MN Anderson Road near US 53
  • 3.34 inches - Superior, WI Allouez neighborhood
  • 3.54 inches - near Gooseberry Falls State Park
  • 3.8 inches - Duluth, MN near Duluth East High School
  • 4.05 inches - Arnold, MN
  • 4.07 inches - Near French River on MN 61
  • 4.43 inches - Duluth, MN near Glenwood St. and Jean Duluth Rd.
  • 4.5 inches - Duluth, MN near downtown
  • 4.59 inches - Duluth, MN near Lester Park
  • 4.63 inches - McQuade Rd. near E. Pioneer Rd.
  • 4.65 inches - Duluth, MN near Tischer Rd. and Washburn Rd.
  • 4.66 inches - Two Harbors, MN near Westover Rd.
  • 4.98 inches - West of Two Harbors near Culbertson Rd.
  • 5.2 inches - Two Harbors, MN Airport
  • 5.38 inches - Duluth, MN at Hartley Park

11 of the Most Devastating Weather Disasters in Minnesota Throughout The Years

We might be full of lakes and "nice" but Minnesota has had its fair share of horrible and nasty weather. Throughout the years we've had floods, fires, storms that have crushed stadium roofs flat, and tornadoes that have destroyed lives.

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