Winter Storm Warning Continues for Southern Lake County Through April 3

Snow has been falling across the North Shore since Wednesday night, and the Winter Storm Warning NWS Duluth issued for Southern Lake County, including Two Harbors and Silver Bay, remains in effect through 7 AM Thursday, April 3. Forecast accumulations place Two Harbors at 5 to 7 inches and Silver Bay between 5 and 8 inches, with the heaviest snowfall rates concentrated in the overnight hours.

Wind gusts reaching 20 to 30 mph are compounding the accumulation by pushing snow back across travel lanes even after plows pass. That combination of wet, heavy snow and sustained gusts means the overnight window is the most dangerous stretch, arriving squarely when shift workers and early delivery drivers are on the road.

Highway 61 carries all commerce, emergency response, and commuter traffic through Lake County's North Shore corridor, and it has a documented vulnerability to this kind of event. During the February 17-19 blizzard, MnDOT shut down both directions of the highway overnight between Duluth and Grand Marais; the agency cautioned against travel even after the road technically reopened. The exposed sections between Two Harbors and Silver Bay, particularly near Beaver Bay, are among the fastest to drift closed when winds hold above 20 mph.

This is only the first of two systems targeting the region. NWS Duluth is tracking a second storm arriving late Friday, with better than even odds of 6 to 8 additional inches along the North Shore. That leaves a narrow recovery window: roads cleared Thursday morning could be significantly covered again before the weekend, which will factor into how MnDOT prioritizes its plow resources over the next 72 hours.

Current Highway 61 conditions are available at 511mn.org or by calling 511.

DECISION BOX

Travel cutoff: The highest-risk period on Highway 61 between Two Harbors and Silver Bay runs from roughly midnight through 7 AM Thursday. Trips that can be pushed to mid-morning should be; daytime temperatures and full plow coverage improve conditions considerably after the warning expires.

School and clinic appointments: Morning medical appointments in Two Harbors or Silver Bay should be confirmed before departure. Schools may adjust start times depending on overnight accumulation, so check district notifications Wednesday evening rather than assuming a normal schedule.

Plows and parking: Keep vehicles off road shoulders overnight. MnDOT crews are running plows on Highway 61, and vehicles parked in active plow lanes slow clearing times on the only through-route in the county. Lake County road crews are covering county routes, with unpaved roads likely to remain difficult well into Thursday morning.