North Shore Blizzard Prompts No Travel Advisories, Brief Highway 61 Closure

Cook County Highway Department issued a no-travel advisory at 7:00 a.m. on Feb. 18 as a blizzard moved through Minnesota’s North Shore, and Bring Me The News reported Highway 61, the primary scenic and economic corridor along the shore, was briefly closed during the height of the storm. WTIP updated its coverage at 10:44 a.m., reporting local closures and ongoing hazardous conditions.

Cook County Highway Engineer Robbie Hass told WTIP that crews were facing unsafe driving conditions. “Heavy, gusty winds are causing limited visibility and dangerous travel conditions,” Hass said, as teams prioritized keeping motorists off slick, wind-driven roads. WTIP’s early-morning reporting noted snow accumulations across Cook County of between 7 and 10 inches by 7:00 a.m., with lower inland totals of 2 to 4 inches and higher amounts reported nearer the Lake Superior shore.

The National Weather Service forecast relayed on WTIP expected significantly more snow for the immediate shoreline. Total expected snowfall along the North Shore was placed between 16 and 24 inches, and a blizzard warning remained in effect until noon on Thursday, Feb. 19. WTIP carried a live mid-storm update with the National Weather Service on its North Shore Morning program at 8:40 a.m., where forecasters reiterated the duration of the warning and the heavy snow threat to coastal communities.

Wind conditions compounded the snowfall. WTIP reported early Wednesday gusts near Grand Marais reached between 40 and 50 mph, increasing the risk of whiteout conditions and drifting. National outlets placed the regional storm in a broader, severe-weather pattern: Newsweek cited officials urging the public that “Do not travel unless you must due to emergencies only,” and added, “If you must travel, especially along Highway 61 on the North Shore, have a winter survival kit with you.” Newsweek also warned that power outages were possible because of the wind.

State and local transportation agencies issued coordinated advisories for the North Shore on Feb. 18. While Bring Me The News reported the brief closure of Highway 61, WTIP’s local headline confirmed road closures and directed listeners to report additional weather-related closures to the station. MnDOT appeared in traffic search listings related to the event; state and county crews were cited as the agencies overseeing road responses during the storm.

The blizzard warning and travel advisories extended through Thursday noon, Feb. 19, leaving clearing and damage assessments to follow once winds eased. WTIP asked listeners to send weather-related closures and updates to news@wtip.org; the station’s Grand Marais office is at 1712 W Highway 61, PO Box 1005, Grand Marais, MN 55604, and can be reached at 218-387-1070 or toll free at 1-800-473-9847.