City Subscriptions

City of Duluth monitoring winter weather conditions

Thursday, March 12, 2026 | 1:40 PM

[DULUTH, MN] The National Weather Service in Duluth is forecasting a significant winter snow event that is expected to enter the area this afternoon, Thursday, March 12, through tomorrow morning, March 13, 2026. Anywhere between eight and 12 inches of snow are forecast for Duluth over the duration of the storm. The heaviest snowfall rates should be later this evening and will be high enough that our fleet will not be able to keep up with the snowfall rate. With road and sidewalk surfaces being relatively warm, residents should expect high amounts of compaction of snow on roadways and sidewalk surfaces.  Winds are expected to gust around 40 mph throughout the storm, diminishing visibility significantly and making travel treacherous. If you can avoid traveling during the storm, you should. If you must travel, please pack an emergency weather kit.

In addition to poor travel conditions, residents should plan for the possibility of power outages and downed trees due to the high winds. Residents should expect drifting, as well.

City of Duluth snowplow operators will be out in force through the evening commute to help drivers get home. Most operators will go on later this evening, but a small number of operators will remain on throughout the night to keep Priority 1 roadways clear and passable. At 2:00 AM, a fleet of 16 plow trucks and 22 motor graders will be out clearing the roadways of snow and ice again.

The City of Duluth asks residents to avoid driving if they can, and to give the plow operators plenty of room to operate if they must be on the roads. Remember: take it slow on snow and ice.

Illegally parked cars continue to be an issue that hampers plowing progress, so please be mindful of parking regulations, or risk your vehicle being ticketed and/or towed. Alternate side parking is on the even side of the street this week.

For more information on our snow and ice policy, please visit https://duluthmn.gov/snow/. Follow the National Weather Service in Duluth for more forecast information.

The City of Duluth will provide updates on snowplow operations as conditions warrant. The City of Duluth thanks residents for their patience and understanding as crews work to maintain roads during and after snow events. Please stay safe while traveling.

###