Duluth Could Set A February Snow Record Next Week

The "winter that wasn't" continues here in the Northland, with very limited snow and generally warm temperatures being the name of the game all season long.

So far this winter season (since October 1, 2023), we've only received 17.7 inches of snow in Duluth. If we don't receive any more snow this winter, that would shatter the previous record of the least snowy winter ever recorded in Duluth.

The least snowy winter ever recorded in Duluth saw only 26.8 inches of snow during the winter of 1899-1900. We're 9.1 inches shy of that right now.

Now, the odds are we'll probably get at least some additional snow this winter season. One halfway decent snowstorm could easily add that 9.1 inches of snow we'd need to not end up having the least snowy winter ever recorded - but we're definitely on a pace to have one of the least snowy winters ever recorded.

A February weather record could be broken

Of the 17.7 inches of snow we've received so far this winter in Duluth, only 0.6 of it fell in the month of February.

As WDIO pointed out in a Facebook post this week, that currently stands as the least snow Duluth has ever gotten in February in the over a century the National Weather Service has been keeping records for the city.

As things stand right now, we're 1.5 inches under the previous record set way back in 1896. With a week left in the month, it is possible we could set a new record - but will we?

End of the month weather forecast

Photo by Michaela Murphy on Unsplash

February will end on a pretty warm note for the most part. The current forecast for Duluth points to only 3 of the remaining 7 days of the month under 40 degrees.

During those three days, however, we could see enough snow to steer us away from that record.

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Besides some slight snow chances today, next Tuesday night and into Wednesday could bring with it the possibility of some light snow.

So it looks like it might be a photo-finish to see if we break this record or not, but we're well on our way.

The 15 Least Snowy Winters On Record In Duluth History

Since the National Weather Service began keeping weather records in Duluth in the late 1800s, here are the 15 winters with the lowest snowfall totals on historical record.

It is worth noting that the official records from 1941-today have been recorded at the area now known as the Duluth International Airport (away from the lake, on top of the hill). Before then, various locations closer to Lake Superior had been used for official weather recording data. For anyone that knows anything about how Lake Superior and the hill play a role in temperature and snow, you can see how this makes older records inherently different.

While these records note the "least snowy winters", they actually include all seasonal snowfall from July 1 through June 30 of the following year.

Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper - TSM Duluth