Brandon Weatherz: Cool today, warm tomorrow

The system that crossed the Northland yesterday will still influence our weather today with lingering showers for some, cooler temps, and a breezy northwest wind. Fortunately, this wind has helped clear out wildfire smoke near the surface from the northwest. Minnesota’s Air Quality Alert was allowed to expire at 6 am and northwest Wisconsin’s Alert expired early at 9 am. Wildfire smoke is still in the atmosphere and a haze will continue to be in the skies, but we get a break from smoke at the surface for now.

We look toward Lake and Cook Co. for rain this morning. This moves south into Wisconsin through the morning and afternoon, staying mostly east of Bayfield Co. A stray shower is possible elsewhere. These eastern areas stay cooler with high near 48 in Ironwood. Temps rise into mid and upper 50s looking west toward the Twin Ports, and the Borderland will be the warm spot today with mid-60s. Cloud cover is thick in the morning, then skies clear from the northwest through the afternoon and evening as high pressure moves in to secure sunshine for the weekend.

It’ll be chilly tonight with lows ranging from mid-30s to mid-40s. Temps quickly rebound on Saturday with highs reaching low to mid-70s. A west wind will spread the warmth down the hill and closer to Lake Superior. The main change from Saturday to Sunday will be a return of a breezy east wind keeping areas surrounding Lake Superior much cooler. Monday will begin a stretch of warm weather that will take us through next week. Our temps in the Twin Ports will be determined by surface winds. As of now, “cooler by the lake” conditions are most likely Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Today: Cloudy in the morning with a stray shower possible. Skies clear by evening. High 57. NW wind 10-20 mph. Chance of rain: 20%

Tonight: Clear. Low 43. NW wind 5-10 mph.

Tomorrow: Sunny and breezy. High 71. W wind 10-15 mph.

Tomorrow night: Mostly clear. Low 47. W wind 5-10 mph.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. High 58. E wind 10-20 mph.

Monday: Mostly sunny. High 65. E wind 5-10 mph.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy and warm. High 77. SSW wind 10-15 mph.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy with a slight chance for showers. High 65. E wind 10-15 mph.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. High 69. E wind 10-15 mph. Chance of rain: 30%