Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Two Harbors, MN

DISCUSSION
Issued at 335 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025

Vertically stacked low pressure was located over western Minnesota this afternoon. Areas of light showers were rotating around the low across the Northland. The low will slowly meander across eastern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin overnight, ending up across Upper Michigan by Saturday morning. With a northwest flow regime on the backside of the low, light showers will persist Saturday into Saturday night as the low continues to move further east. Cooler air will also arrive with the northwest flow bringing highs in the 40s and 50s for Saturday and Sunday. This will be around 10 to 20 degrees below normal for mid-May. High pressure builds in on Sunday with east to northeasterly winds across the region. The coolest highs Sunday will be near Lake Superior as a result. Global models keep some shower activity over the region Sunday, but this is hard to believe given the building high and drier air pushing in.

Overnight lows Saturday night and Sunday night will fall into the 30s with some upper 20s possible Sunday night as well. This will lead to widespread areas of frost across the Northland each night with a freeze possible Sunday night across parts of northeastern Minnesota.

Much of next week looks dry with upper ridging in place. A system will move across the Central Plains into Mid-Mississippi Valley Monday into Tuesday, but the high pressure in place overhead looks to keep the effects of this system to our south.
There may be some shower activity late week into the weekend in spots, but global models are telling different stories keeping overall confidence low. Temperatures will slowly warm back into the 60s over the course of the week, but persistent easterly flow off the lake will keep temperatures cooler near the lake.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/
Issued at 656 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025

A mix of VFR to MVFR ceilings currently occurring across the area will deteriorate to MVFR to IFR ceilings with VFR to MVFR visibilities in scattered light rain this evening into Saturday morning before conditions improve back to MVFR late in the TAF period Saturday afternoon as the low pressure system shifts east. Can't rule out some LIFR conditions tonight, but probabilities of this occurring are 10-20%. Winds should ease and become variable this evening into early tonight before turning northwesterly into Saturday with gusts picking up to 20-25 knots.

MARINE /FOR NEAR SHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/
Issued at 842 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025

Off and on light rain showers continue for tonight into Saturday night. Winds tonight into tomorrow will be northwesterly at 10 to 15 knots with gusts to 20 knots for most of the South Shore, and up to 25 knots for the Twin Ports and up the North Shore where Small Craft Advisories have been issued. Winds then diminish a bit and become easterly Saturday night and Sunday.
Winds of 5 to 15 knots will be seen on Sunday, with some gusts to 20 knots along the South Shore and at the head of the Lake.
A period of stronger easterly winds is expected for next week starting on Monday which may lead to conditions hazardous to small craft.

For the open water discussion, refer to the NWS Marquette Area Forecast Discussion at weather.gov/mqt.

DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MN...None.
WI...None.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 9 AM to 7 PM CDT Saturday for LSZ140.
Small Craft Advisory from 9 AM to 4 PM CDT Saturday for LSZ141>145.