Washburn, WI Weather

Key Messages

- Showers end tonight from west to east.

- Colder air arrives for Sunday through Tuesday with temperatures closer to normal.

- The pattern turns more active for the coming week with multiple chances for rain (and a little snow) with temperatures warming back above normal for the latter part of the week.

Discussion

Issued at 330 PM CDT Sat Oct 24 2026

Low pressure was located over northern Manitoba early this afternoon with a cold front extending into northwestern Ontario, central Minnesota and western Iowa. A line of showers was observed on radar ahead of this cold front from northeastern Minnesota into central Minnesota. A large area of high pressure was centered over the northeastern CONUS with another area in the northern High Plains. As the cold front moves to the east into tonight, showers will end from west to east. An isolated lightning strike or two cannot be ruled out with this activity, but instability is very limited and lightning activity has ceased after being present earlier this morning. Breezy southerly slow ahead of the cold front has resulted in temperatures warming into the 60s and 70s from the Minnesota Arrowhead into the I-35 corridor and across northwest Wisconsin.

A much more seasonable airmass arrives tonight behind the cold front as high pressure builds in from the west. Highs tomorrow will only be in the upper 40s and 50s with mainly dry conditions. The cold front may linger across northern Wisconsin into southern Minnesota and bring a stray shower or two to our southern row of counties in northwest Wisconsin. With the drier air moving in and northwest winds gusting to 15 to 20 mph across northeastern Minnesota, RH values may fall into the 25 to 35% range during the afternoon. Much of northern Minnesota away from Lake Superior will fall below freezing tomorrow night with mid-20s possible in north-central Minnesota.

High pressure will be to our north on Monday before shifting to the east Monday night into Tuesday. Surface low pressure will move from the Central Plains to the Red River Valley of the North Monday night into Tuesday and bring chances for showers to the region starting Monday night. Another upper low will emerge from the Rockies Tuesday night into Wednesday with another area of surface low pressure developing across the Northern Plains. This will keep chances for showers in place across the Northland into Wednesday afternoon. Additional rainfall chances will then be seen for the end of the week. Highs Monday and Tuesday will be in the 40s and 50s before warming into the 50s and 60s for the remainder of the week. With lows Monday night into Tuesday morning falling below freezing across northern Minnesota, so snow may mix with the rain or possibly change over to all snow for a brief period before temperatures trend warmer after sunrise Tuesday morning. No accumulations are expected, but don't be surprised to see some white stuff in the air in spots early Tuesday morning.

Aviation

Issued at 1255 PM CDT Sat Oct 24 2026

A line of showers currently extends from northeastern Minnesota southwest into the Brainerd Lakes area with MVFR conditions prevailing under this activity. A few pockets of IFR ceilings are present as well, but this is expected to be short lived. Lightning activity has dropped to almost nothing, but an isolated strike or two cannot be ruled out as activity moves to the east. VSBYs will drop to MVFR for a period as the heaviest area of showers moves through before returning to VFR. Ceilings are expected to rise to VFR following the showers with VFR prevailing thereafter. Gusty southwesterly winds will turn northwesterly as a cold front passes through this afternoon and evening and then decrease to under 10 knots for the overnight hours.

Marine

Issued at 1255 PM CDT Sat Oct 24 2026

Southwesterly winds gusting to 20 to 25 knots will continue this afternoon before turning northwesterly and diminishing this evening into tonight as a cold front moves through. Small Craft Advisories remain in effect this afternoon, but are expected to end by early evening as winds diminish. A line of showers will be ahead of the cold front and a few isolated lightning strikes cannot be ruled out in this activity. Westerly to southwesterly winds of 10 to 15 knots are expected for Sunday with a few gusts to 20 knots possible along parts of the North Shore. Winds then swing around out of the northeast for Monday at 10 to 20 knots, highest in the western arm of the lake.

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