Brandon Weatherz: Slick morning commute; snow returns Friday

January 3: Slick morning commute; snow returns Friday

Daily forecast from the Storm Track Weather Team

We start the day with a layer of ice on the windshield, sidewalk, and road to contend with. In some areas, this ice is under light snow accumulation. Allow time to navigate a slippery morning commute and begin breaking with plenty of time before needing to stop. Most areas dry out by mid-morning with the exception being the South Shore east of the Bayfield Peninsula where snow lingers into the evening and light accumulation is expected. Highs for the day were observed around 1 am when Duluth had a temperature of 29°. Temperatures gradually fall through the day with low teens to low 20s by 6 pm. Morning clouds will give way to sunshine.

Mostly clear to partly cloudy skies tonight will allow temperatures to bottom out a few degrees below zero in the cool pockets of northern Minnesota. Lows for most will be in single digits. Areas near Lake Superior will maintain teens, especially along the South Shore where lake effect clouds may loiter. Thursday remains cooler and quiet with partly cloudy skies and highs in low to mid-20s.

We finally have a chance for widespread accumulating snow to talk about. It won’t be a heavy snow event, but rather a prolonged period of light snow that would amount to a couple of inches all said and done. Snow would begin Friday afternoon and continue through Saturday. Snow chances exit the Northland to the east Saturday night and Sunday morning. A widespread 2-4″ is possible across northeast Minnesota and into the Twin Ports and northern Douglas County. Much of northwest Wisconsin can expect 1-2″. These amounts may change as we get closer to the weekend.

Today: Morning clouds give way to sunshine. High 24. NNW wind 5-15 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear and cooler. Low 6. NW wind 2-8 mph.

Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. High 24. SW wind 5-10 mph.

Tomorrow night: Mostly clear. Low 17. SW wind 5-10 mph.

Friday: Cloudy with snow showers arriving in the afternoon. High 28. S wind 5-10 mph. Chance of snow: 50%

Saturday: Cloudy with snow showers. High 30. S wind 5-10 mph. Chance of snow: 50%

Sunday: Partly cloudy. High 26. NW wind 5-10 mph.

Monday: Cloudy. High 25. SW wind 5-10 mph.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy. High 24. NNW wind 5-10 mph.