913  
FXUS63 KDLH 101930  
AFDDLH  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN  
230 PM CDT SAT OCT 10 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- WARM TEMPERATURES FOR MOST AREAS AGAIN SUNDAY. HIGHS IN THE  
MIDDLE AND UPPER 60S IN KOOCHICHING COUNTY TO THE MIDDLE 80S  
IN THE ST. CROIX VALLEY.  
 
- NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO  
GUSTY WINDS OF 25-35 MPH, DRY AIR, AND VERY WARM TEMPERATURES.  
 
- CLOSER TO SEASONAL TEMPERATURES NEXT WEEK WITH LIGHT RAIN  
CHANCES RETURNING LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 208 PM CDT SAT OCT 10 2026  
 
SYNOPSIS:  
 
SPLIT FLOW ALOFT OVER THE CONUS FEATURED A TROUGH OVER THE  
PACIFIC NORTHWEST INTO BRITISH COLUMBIA WITH A RIDGE AXIS OVER  
THE GREAT LAKES IN THE NORTHERN STREAM. THE SOUTHERN STREAM  
INCLUDED A TROUGH OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY TO THE  
WEST OF THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE ISAIAS. AN SOUTHERLY LOW-  
LEVEL JET WAS LOCATED OVER MINNESOTA, NORTHERN WISCONSIN, AND  
NORTHWEST ONTARIO. SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WAS CENTERED OVER  
EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. A WARM FRONT EXTENDED EASTWARD FROM THE  
LOW PRESSURE ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA WHILE A COOL FRONT ARCED  
SOUTHWESTWARD OVER NORTHWEST SOUTH DAKOTA INTO NORTHERN WYOMING.  
AN AREA OF SHOWERS, WITH OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING, STRETCHED FROM  
NORTHWEST MINNESOTA INTO NORTHWEST ONTARIO ALONG THE NORTHERN  
PERIPHERY OF THE 850 MB LOW-LEVEL JET.  
 
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT:  
 
DESPITE A DEEP LAYER OF DRY AIR BETWEEN CLOUD BASES AND THE  
GROUND, SPRINKLES WERE REACHING THE GROUND IN SPOTS. EXPECT THAT  
TREND TO CONTINUE IN RESPONSE TO STRONG ISENTROPIC ASCENT IN  
THE 700-500 MB LAYER. SHOWERS WITH BRIEF LIGHTNING FLASHES WILL  
PERSIST THROUGH TONIGHT AND WILL GRADUALLY DEPART NORTHERN  
MINNESOTA TO THE NORTH. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL GRADUALLY  
WEAKEN TONIGHT WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING AND DECOUPLING  
OF THE BOUNDARY LAYER. THE LOW-LEVEL JET WILL STRENGTHEN THIS  
EVENING AS IT PROPAGATES FARTHER EASTWARD AS THE SURFACE LOW  
LIFTS INTO NORTHWEST ONTARIO AND THE COLD FRONT MOVES INTO  
WESTERN MINNESOTA OVERNIGHT. THE FRONT WILL VERY SLOWLY PROGRESS  
EASTWARD ON SUNDAY AND IS EXPECTED TO STALL OUT OVER MINNESOTA  
AND NORTHERN WISCONSIN. SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP IN THE  
WARM SECTOR NEAR THE CANADIAN BORDER. ANOTHER VERY WARM DAY IS  
FORECAST SUNDAY AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. LOOK FOR HIGHS IN THE  
MIDDLE 60S IN NORTH-CENTRAL MINNESOTA WHERE CLOUDS AND SHOWERS  
ARE EXPECTED TO THE LOW AND MIDDLE 80S FROM CENTRAL MINNESOTA TO  
THE TWIN PORTS AND OVER NORTHWEST WISCONSIN.  
 
THE COLD FRONT WILL PUSH A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTH SUNDAY NIGHT.  
RAIN CHANCES EXTEND AS FAR SOUTH AS THE US-2 CORRIDOR BY 7 AM  
MONDAY.  
 
MONDAY:  
 
MONDAY IS SHAPING UP AS A TRANSITION DAY. THE COLD FRONT IS  
EXPECTED TO PUSH FARTHER SOUTH DURING THE DAY. BOTH THE GFS AND  
ECMWF FEATURE SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW NEAR THE SURFACE OVER EAST-  
CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN DURING THE MORNING  
BEFORE THE FRONT PASSES OVER THOSE AREAS. RAIN CHANCES WILL  
PERSIST OVER NORTHERN MINNESOTA. HIGHS WILL RANGE FROM THE LOW  
50S ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER TO THE LOW TO UPPER 70S SOUTH OF A  
LINE FROM HINCKLEY TO MERCER. STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS ARE  
EXPECTED ALONG THE LAKE SUPERIOR SHORE IN RESPONSE TO THE  
FAVORABLE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. RAIN  
CHANCES INCREASE MONDAY NIGHT AS SEVERAL LOBES OF VORTICITY  
PROPAGATE EASTWARD ACROSS THE NORTHLAND.  
 
TUESDAY THROUGH THE END OF NEXT WEEK:  
 
SHOWERS TAPER OFF TUESDAY AND TEMPERATURES WILL BE A FEW  
DEGREES EITHER SIDE OF NORMAL. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IS FORECAST  
TO DRIFT EASTWARD THROUGH THE REGION TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. LOW  
CONFIDENCE IN FORECAST DETAILS THURSDAY AND BEYOND PERSISTS.  
THE 12Z SUITE OF GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO FEATURE TWO DISTINCT  
EVOLUTIONS. THE GFS/GEFS FEATURES AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH MOVING  
ACROSS THE MIDWEST THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WITH WIDESPREAD  
PRECIPITATION. THE ECMWF/EPS GENERATES A CUTOFF LOW OVER THE  
INTERMOUNTAIN WEST LEAVING HIGH PRESSURE IN PLACE OVER THE  
WESTERN GREAT LAKES. CLUSTER ANALYSIS SEEMS TO LEAN TOWARD THE  
ECMWF/EPS SOLUTIONS AS OF THIS MORNING.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1244 PM CDT SAT OCT 10 2026  
 
VFR CONDITIONS PERSIST THROUGH TONIGHT. A FEW SPRINKLES ARE  
POSSIBLE AT INL THIS AFTERNOON. AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND VIRGA  
DEVELOPED OVER NW MN AND NW ONTARIO OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS. THE  
SHOWERS ARE VIGOROUS ENOUGH TO PRODUCE OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING.  
WILL MONITOR TRENDS OVER THE NEXT HOUR AND MAY NEED TO INTRODUCE  
VCTS TO INL. SOUTH-SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BE GUSTY THIS AFTERNOON  
INTO THIS EVENING. THE LOW- LEVEL JET OVER THE NORTHLAND WILL  
REMAIN IN PLACE THIS AFTERNOON ALTHOUGH WIND SHEAR IN THE LOWEST  
2KFT WILL BE LESS THAN 30 KNOTS. LOW- LEVEL WIND SHEAR RETURNS  
TONIGHT AS TEMPERATURES COOL AND THE BOUNDARY LAYER DECOUPLES  
FROM THE STRONGER WINDS ALOFT. THE POTENTIAL FOR IFR CEILINGS  
CREEPS INTO THE FORECAST SUNDAY MORNING. CONFIDENCE IN IFR  
CEILINGS IS HIGHEST AT INL. HIB, BRD, DLH, AND HYR ALL HAVE A  
20-30% CHANCE OF SEEING IFR CEILINGS SUNDAY MORNING, SO HAVE  
LEFT IFR CONDITIONS OUT OF THE FORECAST FOR NOW. LLWS WILL END  
AS THE LOW-LEVEL JET AXIS ADVANCES EASTWARD SUNDAY MORNING.  
 
 
   
MARINE /FOR NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/  
 
ISSUED AT 1244 PM CDT SAT OCT 10 2026  
 
STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE FORECAST OVER THE SOUTH  
SHORE WATERS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE COOL WATER  
TEMPERATURES COMPARED TO THE WELL ABOVE NORMAL AIR TEMPERATURES  
OVER NW WI AND PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL MN WILL CREATE A STABLE  
LAYER OVER THE LAKE AWAY FROM THE SHORE. THE STRONGEST WINDS  
WILL BE FOUND ALONG THE IMMEDIATE SHORELINE AREAS. SMALL CRAFT  
ADVISORIES MAY NEED TO BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE PORTIONS OF THE  
NORTH SHORE FROM DULUTH TO SILVER BAY IF WIND GUSTS OF 20-25  
KNOTS CAN MATERIALIZE THERE. WIND GUSTS WILL SUBSIDE SUNDAY  
MORNING. A COOL FRONT IS FORECAST TO STALL OVER THE NORTHLAND  
FOR MONDAY. WINDS WILL TURN NORTHEASTERLY AND STRENGTHEN MAKING  
CONDITIONS HAZARDOUS FOR SMALLER VESSELS. THERE IS A 40% CHANCE  
OF GALES OF 35-40 KNOTS OVER THE OUTER APOSTLE ISLANDS AND  
PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST ARM OF LAKE SUPERIOR. WAVES WIL BUILD  
TO 3 TO 11 FEET WITH THE HIGHEST WAVE HEIGHTS OVER THE OUTER  
APOSTLE ISLANDS AND FROM OAK POINT TO SAXON HARBOR. WIND GUSTS  
GRADUALLY WEAKEN MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. RAIN CHANCES  
WILL INCREASE DURING THAT TIME. THE COMBINATION OF RAIN AND  
COOL WATER TEMPERATURES MAY LEAD TO DENSE FOG DEVELOPMENT  
TUESDAY MORNING. ANOTHER PERIOD OF HAZARDOUS WIND AND WAVES IS  
POSSIBLE LATE NEXT WEEK.  
 
FOR THE OPEN WATER DISCUSSION, REFER TO THE NWS MARQUETTE AREA  
FORECAST DISCUSSION AT WEATHER.GOV/MQT.  
 
 
   
FIRE WEATHER  
 
ISSUED AT 1244 PM CDT SAT OCT 10 2026  
 
EXPECT SOUTH-SOUTHWEST WINDS TO REMAIN GUSTY INTO THIS EVENING  
WHILE RH VALUES RECOVER TO 65-95% OVERNIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL  
SLOWLY ADVANCE EASTWARD SUNDAY AND WILL BRING CLOUDY SKIES,  
COOLER TEMPERATURES, AND A CHANCE OF SHOWERS FOR FAR NORTHERN  
MINNESOTA. AREAS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA EAST INTO NORTHWEST  
WISCONSIN WILL SEE WARM TEMPERATURES AND DRY CONDITIONS ONCE  
AGAIN, ALTHOUGH WINDS WILL BE LESS GUSTY. AFTERNOON RH VALUES  
WILL RANGE FROM AROUND 30 PERCENT OVER PORTIONS OF THE ST. CROIX  
VALLEY IN NW WI TO THE MIDDLE 60S IN NORTH-CENTRAL MINNESOTA.  
WINDS WILL GRADUALLY VEER WESTERLY AND NORTHWESTERLY THROUGH THE  
DAY AS THE COLD FRONT PROGRESSES EAST. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO  
STALL OVER THE NORTHLAND WHICH WILL PROVIDE WELL ABOVE NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES MONDAY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM HINCKLEY TO MERCER  
WHERE HIGHS WILL BE IN THE UPPER 70S TO NEAR 80 DEGREES. CLOUDY  
SKIES AND RAIN CHANCES WILL KEEP CONDITIONS LESS FAVORABLE FOR  
FIRE NORTH OF THAT LINE. LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS SHOULD EXPAND OVER  
ALL OF THE NORTHLAND MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY.  
 
SEE THE FIRE WEATHER FORECAST PRODUCT FOR A MORE THOROUGH  
BREAKDOWN OF FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.  
 
 
   
CLIMATE  
 
ISSUED AT 1244 PM CDT SAT OCT 10 2026  
 
DAILY RECORD AND FORECAST HIGH TEMPERATURES AND WARM LOW  
TEMPERATURES ARE SHOWN BELOW FOR TODAY AND SUNDAY, OCTOBER  
10TH AND 11TH, WHERE THE FORECAST TEMPERATURE IS WITHIN THREE  
DEGREES OF APPROACHING THE RECORD TEMPERATURE.  
 
HIGH TEMPERATURES:  
 
10/10: RECORD FORECAST  
KDLH: 82/1938 82  
KINL: 80/1955 79  
KBRD: 85/1928 84  
KHIB: 81/1938 81  
KASX: 86/1938 86  
 
10/11: RECORD FORECAST  
KASX: 86/2015 85  
 
WARM MINIMUM TEMPERATURES:  
 
10/11: RECORD FORECAST  
KDLH: 58/1938 60  
KBRD: 58/1997 63  
KHIB: 55/1938 60  
KASX: 58/2015 64  
 
 
   
DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
MN...NONE.  
WI...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM CDT SUNDAY FOR LSZ121-145>148-  
150.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...HUYCK  
AVIATION...HUYCK  
MARINE...HUYCK  
FIRE WEATHER...HUYCK  
CLIMATE...BRITT/HUYCK  
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