Storm toys with snowfall record in Duluth

The city remains a little more than 4 inches shy.

April 5, 2023 at 4:12PM
A large, slushy wave smashed into the shore near the lighthouses along Canal Park in Duluth on April 4. (David Joles, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

DULUTH — Duluthians who hoped to top a nearly three-decade snowfall record as a badge of winter survival honor will have to keep waiting. The city fell short in the latest storm to hit the region Tuesday.

As of Wednesday morning, Duluth had been hit with 131.3 inches of snow this season, ranking it third in the record books. The number to beat is 135.4, recorded during the winter of 1995-96.

"I don't know if we'll do it," said Joe Moore, a meteorologist with the Duluth National Weather Service. "It could be the last storm of the season, but I am not going to say that until we get to June."

The storm, which brought a little over 2 inches of snow to Duluth, was enough to close area schools Wednesday. Sleet, freezing rain, hail and snow pelted the region, with thunderstorms and heavy winds rolling through, too. The top wind gust clocked in at 70 mph at the Duluth International Airport, Moore said.

Lake Superior waves rolling into the Duluth-Superior Harbor reached higher than 10 feet, some cresting the seawall behind the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. The city closed the road along the harbor there when the water froze. Pack ice pushing in to the shore eventually tamped down the waves' power.

April snow in Duluth can be plentiful, but warming weather in the next couple of weeks makes breaking the record more doubtful.

"But it only takes one storm," Moore said.

Duluthians can keep hope alive.

about the writer

Jana Hollingsworth

Duluth Reporter

Jana Hollingsworth is a reporter covering a range of topics in Duluth and northeastern Minnesota for the Star Tribune. Sign up to receive the new North Report newsletter.

See More