Willow River, MN 55795 Weather

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.

Day one: This afternoon and Tonight

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

Days two through seven: Friday through Wednesday

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

Spotter information statement

Skywarn spotter activation will not be needed this afternoon or tonight.

Key messages

- Cold temperatures tonight, with most of the area in the 20s.

- Cool temperatures through Friday, before trending above average for the weekend and early next week.

- Quiet weather through Friday, then scattered showers possible Saturday and Saturday night.

- A larger system could bring widespread rain early next week.

Discussion

Issued at 254 PM CDT Thu Oct 29 2026

TONIGHT AND FRIDAY:

Cool advection and cloud cover have kept temperatures on the chilly side today, with low 50s only across portions of northwest WI that cleared out earlier this morning. Breezy northwest winds will diminish this evening, as high pressure slides into the region from the west. Expect cloud cover to continue eroding through the afternoon and evening as drier air arrives. With winds becoming light, temperatures will fall into the 20s overnight. Would not be surprised to see a few places in the upper teens in north central MN.

Cool to neutral cold advection in low levels will continue through part of the day Friday, while low level winds remain under the influence of the surface high. This will keep temperatures on the cool side, with highs in the mid 40s to mid 50s.

WEEKEND:

Warm advection develops Friday night as winds turn to the south and high pressure slides to the east. A warm front will lift northward, bringing scattered showers to the Northland Saturday. Although, coverage could be as much as 40-50 percent around mid day, little to no accumulation is expected. There could still be lingering showers around Saturday evening. Highs Saturday will be in the 50s, with temperatures falling into the 40s after sunset.

With continued southerly flow, temperatures continue to warm Sunday, with highs 10 to 20 degrees above normal. Afternoon highs will be in the 60s for most of the area, with mid to upper 50s along the Shores of Lake Superior. Overnight lows remain well above freezing.

EARLY NEXT WEEK:

By Monday and Tuesday, the chance for widespread precipitation returns as a larger and better organized storm system moves into the central CONUS. Model guidance is in better agreement with a surface low developing lee of the Rockies Monday and moving toward the Upper Midwest as a longwave trough moves through the Central CONUS. This will bring rainfall back to the Northland Monday. A second system, a clipper moving southeastward through central Canada, will arrive Tuesday, maintaining rain chances for the area. How these two systems interact and how quickly they move to the east will dictate how long rain chances hang around the Northland. Right now, it looks like we could be in a wetter pattern through at least Wednesday. This will bring widespread beneficial rainfall to the area, with temperatures remaining warmer than normal.

Aviation

Issued at 1231 PM CDT Thu Oct 29 2026

MVFR stratus remains over portions of the Northland this afternoon, with erosion on the southern and western edges of this deck. Will start to see broken cigs at most forecast sites over the next 2-3hrs. As this deck erodes and shifts slightly southward, HYR might see a brief period of broken MVFR cigs return through mid afternoon. Breezy northwest winds will continue through the afternoon, before winds diminish through the evening.

Once clouds scatter out, VFR conditions will prevail the rest of the period as high pressure builds in this evening.

Marine

Issued at 254 PM CDT Thu Oct 29 2026

Expect gusty west to northwest winds to continue through this evening. Small Craft Advisories are in effect. High pressure moves in tonight and winds will correspondingly lighten up. High pressure will remain around Friday and Friday night, leading to light winds. Winds become east/northeasterly Saturday near the Twin Ports and Apostles at 5-10kts, but remain out of south along most of the North Shore at less than 5 kts.

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

Fire weather

Issued at 254 PM CDT Thu Oct 29 2026

Dry weather is expected through Friday, as high pressure builds across the area. Breezy northwest winds will gradually diminish this evening. With high pressure in place tomorrow, slightly drier conditions are expected with parts of northwest Wisconsin seeing min RH values around the 35 to 40 percent range, but with light winds. More moisture moves in Saturday and Sunday with some scattered rain chances at times, but with little to no accumulation. Fire weather conditions are expected to be minimal the next few days.

See the Fire Weather Forecast product for a more thorough breakdown of fire weather conditions.

Watches, warnings and advisories

MN: None. WI: None. MARINE: Small Craft Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for LSZ121- 140>148-150.