Weather and Climate News

Duluth breaks all-time record for season snowfall at 137.1 inches

A creek runs past snow-covered ground
Fresh snow coats the ground at Lincoln Park in Duluth on Sunday, as Miller Creek runs high from spring runoff. That snowfall moved Duluth closer to its record season snowfall total — and additional snow on Wednesday and Thursday, April 19-20, put the city over the milestone.
Andrew Krueger | MPR News

Duluth set a new all-time winter snowfall record overnight, beating the mark set in the winter of 1995-1996.

“It's been kind of pretty miserable spring weather,” said Ketzel Levens, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Duluth. “But it ended up in an additional two inches of snow overnight which brings us up to a season total so far of 137.1 inches, which is over the previous record by 1.7 inches.”

DLH cumulative snowfall
Cumulative seasonal snowfall for Duluth for the 2022-2023 season
Sven Sundgaard, National Weather Service data

Levens said most of the precipitation had moved out of the region but some additional snow is possible Thursday.

"We are expecting kind of a cooler-than-normal pattern to persist for the next week or so, so it certainly looks like it's possible that we could continue to have a little measurable snow but we are getting into the realm where we're beyond average for how late we're getting snowfall into the spring here."

DLH snowfalls
Snowfalls for Duluth through the 2022-2023 season
Sven Sundgaard, National Weather Service data

Duluth also recorded a 54 mph wind gust early Thursday.

She said there is the potential to add to the record, even as spring arrives, and said measurable snow usually ends in Duluth by mid-April.

The Weather Service said the latest measurable snow ever in Duluth was on May 28, back in 1965. The official snow measurement season doesn't close until the end of June.

Duluth isn’t alone in setting a record — Brainerd broke its snowfall record earlier this week with 85.3 inches, according to the Weather Service website.