Winter Already?! North Dakota Shares Snowy Images, Is Duluth Area Next?

Every Northland resident knows that winter weather is inevitable. The big question every year is just how long accumulating snow will hold off. Will we only see a few rounds of light snow or flurries until winter officially arrives, or will we have to endure something similar to the Halloween Blizzard of 1991?

While a repeat of 1991 seems extremely unlikely this year, there is winter weather in the area ahead of Halloween which is making those who dread early snowfall a little bit uneasy.

On the night of Wednesday, October 25, Meteorologist Aaron White shared a North Dakota Department of Transportation photo that showed Minot roads completely snow-covered. At that time, he noted that travel was not advised across the northeastern part of the state.

On Thursday, October 26, our media partners at WDIO-TV shared a daytime photo from the North Dakota Department of Transportation, showing what looks like a winter wonderland in Crary Rest Area on US 2.

Northland residents had heard rumbling of snow being a possibility into this weekend, so do these images from North Dakota mean everyone in the Duluth area should find their shovels and ice scrapers? According to the National Weather Service in Duluth, that depends on just where in the Northland you reside.

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As early as Thursday morning, they expected light rain to change to snow over the western and northern portions of the Northland into Friday, October 27, with the best chance for accumulation to occur Thursday night into Friday morning in those areas.

As for accumulating snow, added that they anticipate light snow accumulations over far northern Minnesota, mainly in Koochiching County. However, if the colder air arrives quicker than they currently expect, there is a slight chance that higher amounts of accumulation could occur.

So, what does that mean for Duluth and the Twin Ports area? According to WDIO's Brandon Weatherz, snow is not expected in the immediate future, but cold and breezy conditions certainly are:

• Thursday Night: Rainy, cloudy, and breezy with areas of fog. Low 42. E wind 10-20 mph. Chance of rain: 90%
• Friday: Cloudy and breezy with a chance for showers in the morning. High 43. NW wind 15-20 mph. Chance of rain: 50%
• Friday night: Decreasing clouds. Cool and breezy. Low 25. WNW wind 10-15 mph.
• Saturday: Mostly cloudy and cold. High 35. W wind 5-10 mph.
• Sunday: Partly cloudy, breezy, and cold. High 34. W wind 10-15 mph.

Related: Old Farmers Almanac Shares First Snowfall Prediction For 2023

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