Four Season Cottages and Vacation Suites
On the Shore of Lake Superior
Grand Marais, Minnesota
December 2017
Dec 31: The winds are just pounding the lake from the north. I was in town and could barely stand against that north wind, However, down here on Croftville Road that north wind blows right over the top of us and then buffets the lake. You can watch the gusts as they move over the lake's surface until they disappear into the steam whirlwinds rising off the lake. It was 14 below this morning and at noon we are still at 7 below. There is the large cloud mass over the lake but everywhere else we have clear blue firgid skies.
Dec 30: It was a nasty cold day today with 16 below this morning and a high of 3 below for the day. Add to that the strong winds from the north and not even the sunshine could make it fell pleasant outside. We watched 3 freighters pass by partially obscured by the steam rising off the water's surface.
Dec 29: Today was the return to the subzero temps. The whirlwinds rising off the lake are once again forming that large cloudmass over the lake surface. Lake Superior is a silver gray and we have frigid blue skies everywhere the cloud over the lake is not. There is much freighter activity right now with us enjoying their passing by both during the day and night.
Dec 28: It got down to 1 below last night but then began to warm up. We have light snow falling this morning with about 2" accumulation so far. The morning began at 3 degrees and is now at 11. Lake Superior is a grayish green with 3-4ft waves and a few whitecaps coming straight in from the SSE. The new snow is blowing in the wind off the lake.
Dec 27: We begin our day with 13 below this morning. The forecast says we will see above zero temps briefly today. We watched 2 ore freighters pass by in the night. They were pretty close to shore but far enough out for their lights to be partially oscured by the moisture rising off the lake into the dark cloud mass directly over the lake. This was an eerie sight. This morning Lake Superior is a light blue and calm. There are clear blue skies everywhere except directly over the lake where the dark cloud continues. Ice forming out on the lake from these cold temps came in as an ice floe this afternoon. I suspect it will disappear as soon as temps began to warm or the waves pick up. This is one of the earliest dates I have ever seen ice on the lake here in Croftville.
Dec 26: This is the coldest day we have seen in Croftville in at least 2 years. Our high today was 8 below and our high was 18 below. The winds were strong making it impossible to do anything outside. Waves were coming from the unusual directions of the SW hitting our shore at an oblique angle. The great cloud mass over the lake continues with the steam whirlwinds lifting moisture off the lake surface.
Dec 25: Merry Christmas! The below zero temps rolled in late last night to welcome Christmas. We have 7 below here next to the lake which means it is probably considerably colder inland. Lake Superior has the familiar look for below zero temps with a dark cloud mass forming over the lake and small whirlwinds of steam rising off the surface into the cloud. Elsewhere, we have blue skies and sun. The lake is mostly calm and a pale blue with navy shadows.
Dec 24: With a morning low of 7 and and afternoon high of 13 it is colder today but so far the bitterly cold temperatures that have been predicted have not materialized yet. We have snow flurries for Christmas Eve after having a brilliant star filled night last night. Lake Superior had 3-4ft waves this morning from the SSW but is nearly calm and gray this afternoon. The lake almost seamleesly blends into the gray horizon.
Dec 23: The temperatures have begun to drop with a low of 12 last night. The blue skies and sun have been out for 3 hours and we have only warmed up 1 degree to 13. I suspect we will begin to see temps begin to drop as the arctic cold front makes its way here for Christmas Eve. Lake Superior is a bright blue with navy shadows with short choppy waves from the SSW.
Dec 22: As heavy snow came down this morning, about 5" total, the radar showed there was no snow falling and the weather forecast said there was 0% chance of precipitation. We spent the afternoon shoveling out our fresh white blanket now added to our snowcover. Temperatures were in the 20's all day and when the snow stopped skies cleared to a very light overcast. Lake Superior was a pale blue with 2-4ft waves pounding the shore.
Dec 21: It is the shortest day of the year. White overcast skies and snow flurries are the conditions along Lake Superior. We had 1" of fresh snow this morning with the temperature ranging from 14 to 26. Lake Superior is a silver shiny gray with small waves on a textured surface coming straight in from the SSE.
Dec 20: Temps ranged from 8 this morning to the upper 20's this afternoon. Lake Superior had 4-5ft waves from the south today with strong winds. Teresa saw several freighters passing by during the night. We heard that the last salty of the season left Duluth today although ore freighters will continue into mid January.
Dec 19: Rain that turned to wet snow started coming down at 6pm last night. We ended up with only 1" of wet snow accumulation but the problem was that temps stayed at freezing last night and then began to drop. At 8am it dropped under freezing and then the race was on to get rid of the wet snow or let it freeze in place. The winds were gale forcwe today. With temps in the upper 20's most of the day it was quite pleasant out of the wind and in the sun. But whoa to you if the sun disappeared behind clouds and you stood in the wind. Lake Superior is a transluscent bluish green today with 4-6ft waves from the SSW. Ore freighters are heading by us again. Last night we enjoyed one all lit up about 1am.
Dec 18: Lake Superior has greenish blue 2-4ft waves from the SSW. It is warm with a dark gray overcast today. Our low was 26 and our high 36. No sign of sun, no sign of precipitation, and just a light breeze.
Dec 17: It warmed up overnight with a morning temp of 22 and a high this afternoon of 30 here in Croftville. Skies were a white overcast and the light moisture coming down felt more like mist than snow. Lake Superior is surprisingly mild and with the good weather none of the freighters are taking the northern rout past Grand Marais today.
Dec 16: We have white overcast skies with snow flurries coming down this morning. Lake Superior is a dark blue gray with a fuzzy horizon and 1-2ft roller waves from the SE. We had a morning low of 8.
Dec 15: High temps where in the upper teens here along Lake Superior today. There was lots of sun and pleasant to be outdoors. However, it got cold really quick once the sun began to set. The big lake was a brillianrt blue with 2-3ft waves from the SE and a light wind.
Dec 14: Snow plows finally cleared Croftville Road last night. Today we had a high of 22 after a low of 1. Most of my day was spent shoveling out after what ended up to be about 5-6" of fresh snow from yesterday. Lake Superior is a silver blue and the sun feels goods.
Dec 13: Snow and wind began in the night. By the time they stopped around noon we had about 4 new inches of snow on the ground, 5-6ft greenish gray waves from the SE, and lots of drifting. Temps rose over the night with the upper teens by the time we got up and eventually reaching a high of 26.
Dec 12: It was zero down here next to Lake Superior this morning. We are still now waiting for our first sub-zero day. We have high thin cirrus clouds and a mostly blue sky this morning. With the sun, temps are quickly rising. We saw several frieghters passing by during the night. The waning moon is now little more than a crescent, but it still manages to light up the lake and the thin snowcover on the ground. Lake Superior is a pale blue with just ripples this morning. The cold temps have the familiar little steam whirlwinds rising up off the surface of Superior.
Dec 11: We got about 2-3 inches of snow last night continuing into this morning. Temps once again began in the single digits but managed 26 this afternoon. I saw two freighters pass by Croftville today. Lake Superior has only small pale blue waves today here.
Dec 10: There was a powerful wind this morning and a low of 6. However, the blue skies warmed the air and the wind ceased to make a pleasant afternoon. Lake Superior was a brilliant blue and there were many walkers out enjoying a stroll on Croftville Road.
Dec 9: We have bright blue skies this morning with wisps of high white clouds. The new 1" blanket of snow makes everything quiet and clean. Lake Superior has a textured surface with multiple shades of blue. We saw at least 5 ships and freighters pass by during the night, one was quite close. Temperatures dropped during the night with an overnight low of 6 degrees.
Dec 8: It was white overcast yesterday with light snow falling from about noon on. By nightfall we had about 1" accumulation. Lake Superior had only small 1ft blue gray waves. Temps hovered in the teens and 20's.
Dec 7: Temps were in the teens today before reaching a high of 21 briefly. Lake Superior was a greenish blue with 2-3ft waves from the south. Skies were lightly overcast with snow flurries for most of the afternoon.
Dec 6: It is cold this morning at 14 degrees. Lake Superior is a blue gray against a light blue horizon. The sun is not completely ip yet but it appear that overhead we have lightly overcast skies. The 5-6ft waves from last night have calmed down to 3-4ft waves this morning. During the night we watched a large saltie all llit up pass by our bedroom.
Dec 5: Lake Superior was a bluish green this morning against a dark purple horizon. The waves are large at 4-5ft from the SSW and grew even larger through the day. The winds off the lake were gale force once again. Temperatures dropped through the night from 43 at 8pm to 34 at 3:00am to 30 at 4:30 to 25 at 8am. The rain from yesterday changed to freezing rain and then to snow. We ended up with about 2" of wet snow the ground to shovel away if we wanted to avoid a frozen sheet of ice on our paths and steps.
Dec 4: It was a spooky day with the feeling that a change in weather had to be on the way. We woke up to 41 degrees and the temperature stayed steady with a high of 43 at 8pm. The winds were fierce and helped to grow huge 5-6ft waves from the SSW on Lake Superior. A couple isolated heavy rain storms fell during the afternoon before a steady light rain began about 8pm.
Dec 3: There was a heavy frost on the roofs this morning with a low of 28 and a warm afternoon temp of 43. We had mostly sunny skies, a late sunrise because of cloud cover to the east, and a gentle breeze. Lake Superior was a silver blue with olive green shadows and 2ft waves from the south.
Dec 2: It is a beautiful late fall day here in Croftville. We have partly cloudy skies, no breeze, and a high of 43 this afternoon. Lake Superior has blue 1-2ft waves with navy shadows from the south.
Dec 1: December begins with some frost on the roofs, partly cloudy skies, and a brilliant red sunrise. Lake Superior has 1-2ft silver waves with navy shadows from the south. There is no snow cover down by the lake, but they still have dcent snow cover inland. Our morning low was 31.
November 2017
Nov 30: Lake Superior was storming today with 3-5ft waves pounding the shore from the SSE. Strong winds in the morning subsided in the afternoon allowing us to get some work done putting things away before winter decides to take hold. Our low was 31 and our high was 37.
Nov 29: With a morning low of 19 and an afternoon high of 32 today is quite a bit cooler than yesterday. We traveled to Duluth unexpectedly to buy some replacement internet equipment. It was mostly sunny, fairly windy, and the lake was a brilliant blue. The reflections off the lake were blinding.
Nov 28: We woke up to wind and blue skies overhead. Lake Superior started the day with 1-2ft waves but ended the day with 3-5ft brilliant blue waves with green shadows from the SE. Boy, did the wind blow this afternoon making it hard to do anything outdoors since you spent most of your energy fighting the wind. It warmed up overnight and I woke up to 41 with an early afternoon high of 46 before a cloud front blew in and started to cool things off.
Nov 27: Lake Superior is a medium gray with dark green shadows with 1-2ft waves coming in from the SSE. There is a wind off the hill that is banging my snow shovel against the porch wall. We are at freezing this morning and the gray overcast skies will probably keep the temperatures steady. Only the horizon to the south shows any signs of a break in the overcast skies.
Nov 26: We had a high of 42 and a low of 26 today. There was plenty of sun peaking out from behind the clouds. Lake Superior was mostly calm as were the winds. The textured surface was a silver blue with olive green shadows.
Nov 25: We admired the crescent moon reflecting and shimmering off the lake last night. There were no fewer than 6 ore freighters that passed Croftville in the night all lit up. We have sun and partly cloudy skies this morning with a morning temperature of 24. It feels much colder than yesterday but the sun is welcome. The air is calm and Lake Superior has 1-2ft silver blue waves with green shadows from the SSW.
Nov 24: We woke up to 38 and had a high of 42. It was still 41 at 6pm before temps finally began to drop. We had light rain and drizzle most of the day. The light gray overcast skies left Lake Superior a gray blue with 2-3ft waves from the SSW. We sat and had a fire on our covered porch listening to the waves buffeting the shore and the fireworks from the Grand Marais harbor. Two ore freighters passed by while we were warming ourselves from the radiant heat of the woodstove.
Nov 23: It was 17 this Thanksgiving morning but it warmed up to 33 in the afternoon with a decent amount of sun.
Nov 22: I think today was the coldest overall day of the season so far. With a morning low of 16 and the high of 26 together with a healthy wind off the hill made this a tough day to be outside. Skies were a gray overcast which were reflected by the greenish blue 2ft waves from the SSW. We saw several ore freighters all lit up pass by Croftville last night. Today we enjoyed watching a scattering of really big snowflakes fall from the sky and being bounced around by the wind before eventually finding their way to the ground.
Nov 21: It was a cold day today in Croftville never getting out of the 20's. It was mostly cloudy and the wind was almost non-existent. Lake Superior was gray with sevral ore freighters passing by Croftville.
Nov 20: It got above freezing today allowing some of the frozen rain left behind from Friday to melt off the steps and roadways. Lake Superior had 2-4ft blue gray roller waves from the south.
Nov 19: The morning low was 21 and the high was 32. The sun peaked out a couple times but for the most part we had cloudy skies above a silver gray lake.
Nov 18: There was slush falling out of the sky yesterday afternoon. By nightfall we had about 1" of slush covering the ground. By this morning most of it had melted and soaked into the ground. Yesterday's high was 41 but things cooled off after midnight and we woke to 29 degrees. The lake has a textured silver surface this morning with a blue gray cloud cover.
Nov 17: The winds were blowing hard off the lake during the night making our lakeside windows whistle. Those winds helped to generate 5-7ft waves crashing on our shore that were so loud I could barely hear those whistling windows. We got a dusting of snow during the night and temperatures rose to 37 degrees by morning. It is still dark this morning due to the heavy overcast skies even though the sun should already be up.
Nov 16: The lake is storming today. We had 3-5ft gray waves from the SE with whitecaps. Our morning low was 19 and we got close to freezing for the high. There were several ore freighters passing by all lit up in the night. Snow flurries began to small in the late afternoon.
Nov 15: Overnight low last night was 38. Rain began about 9am and looks like it will remain most of the day. We have gray overcast skies with a silver gray Lake Superior that melds seamlessly into the horizon and sky. The weather people say a cold front is moving in and we should see our temps drop into the 20's as the day moves on. Right now we have 40 degrees.
Nov 14: We woke up to 38 and had a high of 41 today. The skies looked like rain all day but it never happened. Lake Superior was a light gray with 2-3ft waves from the south with an occasional whitecap. What was left of the snow melted today down near the lake.
Nov 13: Lake Superior was a bluish green with 2-3ft waves from the SE. We have cloudy skies with temps hovering just above freezing. The little snowcover we have is slowly disappearing.
Nov 12: It is white overcast this morning with a silver gray Lake Superior with only ripples on the surface. It is so quite without the lake roaring and the strong winds off the lake whistling through our double hung windows. Overnight it was 29 and has warmed up this morning to 32 which is probably close to our high for the day.
Nov 11: It was warmer today with a low this morning of 26 and a high this afternoon of 34. The wind was still here today but with a diminishing capacity as the day wore on. The lake started with 5-6ft waves during the night and finally reduced down to 3-4ft waves tonight. Overcast skies kept the lake a bluish gray and offered us light snow both during the night and for awhile this afternoon.
Nov 10: And yet another coldest night of the season with a 5 degree low this morning next to Lake Superior. We had a high of 18 yesterday around 11am. After that, the temps declined all the rest of the day and through the night. This morning we have clear blue skies overhead except for the dark purple cloud mass over the lake. The cold temps against the warm lake have little whirlwinds of steam rising from the blue lake with 2-3ft waves from the SSE.
Nov 9: We had about a half inch of light snow last night next to the lake. Overnight it really cooled down and it is 13 this morning, our coldest night of the season by far. In fact, with these cold temps it is difficult to call this fall anymore, it is more like winter. I watched 4 ore freighters pass by all lit up in the night. This morning I saw another one. We will probably see ore freighters regularly now until they close the locks in mid January. Lake Superior is calm and gray this morning. The sky is a dark gray overcast except over the lake where a large cloudbank is forming.
Nov 8: There was no sun out today. We had a morning low of 26 and a high today of 31. The greenish gray lake had 2-4ft waves from the SE. At most there was a mild breeze but for the most part the air was still.
Nov 7: It is the coldest morning of the fall with 21 degrees. Although we have clear skies overhead, there is a perimeter of dark purple clouds around the horizon stretching in all directions except to the north. It managed to get up to 34 yesterday with the sun. It doesn't look like we will get that warm today. Lake Superior is silver blue with navy shadows with 1ft waves.
Nov 6: It was a stunning sunrise with thin dark clouds against a yellow rising sun. Lake Superior is silver blue with dark green shadows and 1-2ft waves from the south. Skies are clear overhead and there is a thin bank of clouds near the horizon over the lake. Our temp this morning is 24 degrees.
Nov 5: The snow is all gone today waking up to 40 degrees and then watching the the temp slowly and continuously drop through the day. It was 29 at sunset. We have mostly cloudy skies with gray clouds. Lake Superior is calmer today with 2-3ft blue green waves from the south.
Nov 4: It snowed all night and for most of the morning. We have 2-3" accumulated down here by the lake. With the snow came slightly warmer temps and we are hovering between 33 and 36 degrees today. Lake Superior has been energized by the strong winds. We have 4-5ft waves pummeling the shore.
Nov 3: It is cold this morning at only 29 degrees. We have 5 naughty deer walking down Croftville Road. I think they can sense that deer hunting is just a day away. Once the shooting starts they become so skiddish and unpredictable on the roadways. We have mostly clear skies this morning with Lake Superior a silver blue and only small waves with a textured surface.
Nov 2: It was an partly overcast day with not much sun. Lake Superior was a greenish blue with 1-2ft roller waves from the SSE. After a morning low of 32 it warmed all the way up to 44. People up the trail were treated to 4-6" of wet sloppy snow overnight but we had rain all night by the lake.
Nov 1: Lake Superior was storming today with 3-5ft waves pounding the shore from the SSE. Strong winds in the morning subsided in the afternoon allowing us to get some work done putting things away before winter decides to take hold. Our low was 31 and our high was 37
October 2017
Oct 31: Happy Halloween! 500 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the Wittenburg Church door today. Here in Grand Marais we had 29 degrees this morning by the lake. It warmed up in the afternoon all the way to 34. That doesn't sound very good, but it was really quite pleasant outdoors with sun at times, no precipitation, and no wind. Lake Superior was a bluish gray, it was more blue when the sun was out and more gray when the skies clouded up. The lake had 2-3ft waves.
Oct 30: It was 31 this morning with a high mustering up to 37. It was cold working outdoors with a light mist coming down much of the day and overcast skies. Luckily, there was almost no wind which made work outside at least bearable. Lake Superior is gray with a textured surface and 1-2ft waves. Calm compared to the massive storms from last week.
Oct 29: It is another cold day as we travel back to Grand Marais. It was 34 when we left Minneapolis, dropped to 32 traveling to Duluth, and managed to get back up to 34 by the time we got to Grand Marais at sunset. Lake Superior is roaring with 5-6ft waves and we could see the damage to the lakeside attractions in Duluth from Friday's massive storm.
Oct 28: We are in southern Minnesota today watching the MIAC cross country conference meet at Saint Olaf. I can only imaginge what it must be like 350 miles to the north when I think of how cold I am here watching these runners in their skimpy uniforms run this cold course. It was 34 degrees at race time which also turned out to be the high for the day. Our trip down last night featured snow all the way from Grand Marais to Hinckley. Duluth appeared to have about 6" on the ground. Minneapolis had freezing mist on the overpasses.
Oct 27: We woke up this morning and the rain from yesterday has turned to snow. It is our first snow of the year and at 7am we have about 2" on the ground down here next to the lake. I suspect there must be much more up the trail. The temperature is 32 this morning. The overcast skies are keeping the skies dark after we would expect to see morning light. Lake Superior has 6-8ft waves from the SE and I could hear the large rocks being pushed around on the beach last night.
Oct 26: The rain began about 8:15am and the light rain never stopped even for a breather all through the day and now into the night. Our morning low was 41 this morning but temps stayed steady for the day and began to drop in the afternoon. Lake Superior's grayish breaking waves grew to 6-7ft this afternooon with whitecaps seen all over out on the lake.
Oct 25: With a low of 32 this morning and a high of 44 the winds are gone, the lake has 3-4ft waves from the SE and the skies are blue with some scattered clouds. What a difference from the high winds of yesterday.
Oct 24: The winds really blew last night. Knocked stuff all around the yard. The power was out for several hours. After a high of 57 yesterday afternoon, we have a morning low of 41. It is not expected to warm up more than a couple degrees today. We have an ore freighter passing by our place this morning with the high winds. It is remarkable watching the gusts of wind hitting the surface of Superior and then moving out across the surface. No sun this morning with the overcast skies leaving Lake Superior a dull gray.
Oct 23: We have mostly cloudy skies this morning with small patches of blue. There is a dark band of bluish purple out to the west. Lake Superior has 3-4ft light blue waves with green shadows from the SSE. The morning low is 46. Happy Birthday to my Grampa Joe who would have been 113 years old today. It's hard to believe he has been gone for over 22 years.
Oct 22: We had cloudy skies and a dark blue Lake Superior with 2ft waves from the south today. The winds from this past week and the rain overnight have stripped many of the leaves from the trees. It now is beginning to look like late fall where one can see further into the woods and vistas to the lake have opened up. Our high today was 53 with a low of 44.
Oct 21: We have seen beaver swimming in Superior ever since we have lived here. I can even remember seeing a beaver lumbering along on our shore. But yesterday a beaver made off with one of our young aspen trees at the top of our stairs leading down to the lake. All that was left was a 1ft tall and 2" in diameter stump along with some wood chips. He must have appreciated the stairs to make the getaway with his prized sapling so easy. This morning we had a low of 52 degrees which is surprisingly warm for this time of year. The partly cloudy skies at sunrise have now been replaced by gray overcast skies and the word is that rain is on its way.
Oct 20: It was a windy day in Croftville. Lake Superior had calmed down to 1-2ft blue gray waves. It was a good evening for campfires with partly cloudy skies with plenty of stars peeking through. Our high was 63 after a start of 43 in the morning. However, the air stayed warm well into the night.
Oct 19: It was a crisp and clear day in Croftville. The 4ft waves were roaring from the south and you could hear them moving rocks around on the shore. When you were in the sun it was warm and when you were in the shade it was cold. Our low and high were 44 and 63 respectively but it feels like it might get quite a bit cooler tonight.
Oct 18: It was windy today and the waves on Lake Superior grew all day long. By evening the waves were 4ft with whitecaps. Our low this morning was 44 with a high of 63. There was plenty of sun in the morning but overcast skies came and went during the afternoon.
Oct 17: Our overnight low was only 50. After a high yesterday of 55 it just didn't cool off much overnight. There are some light clouds amidst a mostly blue sky this morning. The sliver moon and Venus were lit up by the rising run this morning as they rose through some small clouds near the horizon. Lake Superior has 2ft roller waves from the SSW.
Oct 16: We have 38 this morning along the shore with a little frost. The big lake is bluish gray with 2ft roller waves from the SSW. The skies above the crisp horizon are mostly cloudy with patches of blue that can let the sun break through. The morning sunlight hitting the gold leaves on the aspen and birch make them stand out and look afire.
Oct 15: We traveled back to Grand Marais today and topped Thompson Hill about 3pm. Our daughter called out that she was the first to see Lake Superior. There was a sound in her voice of relief to be back to home, which is the feeling I get every time I see Lake Superior. After some shopping in Duluth, it was dark before we got to Grand Marais, but the lights of the town welcomed us home.
Oct 14: We traveled to LaCrosse today to watch our son's cross country meet. Overcast skies and rain is the recipe for the day. The rain is heavy at times but usually is an annoying mist. It was fun to see the Mississippi River Valley that I spent so much time on family outings in my youth. Our innkeeper tells us it is a beautiful sunny fall day in Grand Marais.
Oct 13: Lake Superior is a uniform gray this morning with 2ft waves from the south. There is a crisp horizon line with white and blue overcast above the gray lake. We can see patches of blue sky where the overcast is thin but still no signs of the sun. This mornings low was 36 but it is already 53 at 10am.
Oct 12: The waves grew overnight and have continued to grow through the day. Lake Superior has 3-5ft blue green waves from the SSE with whitecaps buffeting the shore. It warmed up overnight getting down only into the mid 40's and with a likely high right around the current temperature of 56. It was so dark this morning that I thought for sure rain was on its way but it never came even with the heavy overcast skies lasting all the way through the morning. The strong breezes from yesterday afternoon stripped many of the leaves out of the aspens.
Oct 11: It was a glorious fall day here in Croftville. Translucent blue 2-3ft waves from the ESE are breaking on the shore. Skies are blue with just wisps of white clouds. We had a low of 36 this morning and a high of 56. The breeze is beginning to strip the aspens of their gold leaves and the waves are collecting them in bunches on the lake surface.
Oct 10: It is 39 this morning with frost on Cottages 1 and 2. There are clear skies over the lake with oranges and reds lighting up the sky before the sunrise and Venus is the lone "star" still in the sky. Lake Superior has 1ft roller waves coming in from the SSW. The first rays of the sun set the gold leaves on the aspens on fire.
Oct 9: I woke up to 45 degrees with a gentle breeze off the lake quaking the golden leaves on the quaking aspens. We have high cirrus clouds dotting a blue sky. Lake Superior has ripples from the south and a textured surface of grays and blues.
Oct 8: Much like yesterday we had a mixture of clouds, blue skies, and overcast. Lake Superior had only ripples today and was quiet along the shore. The lake was a deep blue with silver highlights on its textured surface. The low was 43 and the high was 61.
Oct 7: It was a low of 43 and a high of 62. There was sun in Croftville for the morning that turned clouds and overcast for the afternoon. Leaves along the lake are now in full color. Lake Superior is a deep blue with 2-3ft waves.
Oct 6: Lake Superior was amazing last night with the full moon reflecting off the shimmering lake. This morning was a beautiful red sunrise that lit up the gold aspens along the shore. The lake is calm and blue with a textured surface. Skies are clear, the morning low is 42 and for the first time this fall we have frost on the roofs of our cottages.
Oct 5: It was a picture perfect fall day in Croftville. There were clear blue skies and a high of 64 after a crisp morning start of 43, so far the coolest temp we have had along the shore this fall. The smell of campfires were in the air as guests enjoyed the beauty of a deep blue Lake Superior with 2ft breaking waves sounding against the shore.
Oct 4: There was a low of 47 and a high of 64 today. Lake Superior was a dark blue with partly cloudy skies most of the day. Some of the clouds looked like rain but when I checked the radar, the closest rain was south of Chicago. I guess we are gun shy and expect every dark cloud to drop rain on us. No rain today, the aspens along the shore are now turning as deep gold, abd we have a full moon out tonight.
Oct 3: It was so, so humid this morning. Our morning low was 59 and our afternoon high was 62. A medium rain continued through the morning, but last night the constant rain dropped 2.5". The municipal parking lot was underwater this morning. When the rain finally quit, we had dark overcast skies for the afternoon and the air was so thick you could have cut it with a knife.
Oct 2: We again had 49 this morning and we rose to 62 this afternoon. It started raining before dawn and didn't stop until 2pm. Skies were dark overcast all day long. Lake Superior has 2ft grayish green waves pounding the shore from the SE.
Oct 1: It was 49 this morning to welcome October to Croftville. Skies are cloud covered. Lake Superior has 2-3ft greeneish blue waves with silver highlights crashing straight in from the SSE. The air is still and some of our aspens next to Superior changed to a deeper shade of gold overnight.
September 2017
Sept 30: What a mismatch of skies waking up this morning. There was a gorgeous red horizon and clear skies to the east watching the sun rise. To the west, the skies were an ominous dark purple overcast and looked like a storm was on its way. Lake Superior was blue with dark olive shadows with 1-2ft waves from the SSW. The temp this morning was 45. Then those dark skies dissipated and we have light high cumulus clouds with blue skies poking out inbetween.
Sept 29: It looked like rain was imminent all day but except for a few sprinkles it never came here in Croftville. We had 2ft gray roller waves on Lake Superior and a comfortable breeze in the morning. After lunch waves picked up and the temperature went down. The sky was so dark at 3:30 that I still cannot figure out why the rain didn't come down. We had a low of 45 and a high of 62 in the morning before temps began dropping in the afternoon.
Sept 28: We traveled to Hibbing today to watch a cross country meet. It looked like rain all day long but it took until afternoon for the skies to open up. Boy, did it rain. My helper at the inn said it until 3:30 for that rain to get to Grand Marais and it came down in sheets. Lake Superior was gray with 1-2ft waves.
Sept 27: We got to see stars lying in bed last night for the first time in several days. This morning we woke up to blue skies, a few small clouds, and 46 degrees. Lake Superior is a metallic blue with dark navy shadows as the 1-2ft waves come in from the SSW.
Sept 26: It rained most of the night and it rained all morning. There was a small break in the rain in the early afternoon before the rain started up again. Dark skies all day here in Croftville. I had to put on my work lights in my white canvas shelter in order to see what I was working on. Lake Superior is a uniform dark gray with 1-2ft roller waves from the SE. We had a low this morning of 54 and a high of 58.
Sept 25: The fog rolled in off the lake yesterday after early morning sun. Most of the day we had fog and high humidity and high of 71. Last night we had another light rainstorm. This morning we have dark cloudy skies and a morning low of 63. There is a cool breeze from the north and tiny spots of blue skies. Lake Superior is silver gray with small waves this mornng from the SSW.
Sept 24: We had another rainstorm during the night. This morning we have blue skies with just wisps of clouds. Lake Superior has 1-2ft silver waves with navy shadows from the SE on a very textured surface. It was warm overnight with morning low of only 61 degrees.
Sept 23: After yet another early morning rain, it was warm and humid yesterday in Croftville with a light fog in the morning and plenty of sun in the afternoon. We got up to 73 degrees. Lake Superior had 1-2ft waves from the SE. There is more gold and yellows in the trees with each passing day. I could hear what I thought was large rocks on the beach moving but it turns out it was distant thunder from a storm out over the lake to the east near Isle Royale.
Sept 22: There was a light rain last night and a lot of lightning over Lake Superior. I am not sure if it was heat lightning or if the the bulk of the storm simply missed us. This morning we have dark overcast skies with rain not far away. Lake Superior is mostly calm with a light gray hue that blends seamlessly into the horizon. It actually warmed up overnight and we woke up to 62 degrees and humidity.
Sept 21: It was an amazing fall-like day here in Croftville. We had sun wiath a steady breeze all day. Our low was a crisp 48 followed by and afternoon high of 68. Lake Superior was that deep metallic blue that you usually only see in the fall. There were 2-4ft waves and whitecaps from the SE. Sept 20: It rained, lightninged, and thundered hard last night after dark and continued all the way to morning. Until the sun broke through around 4pm it was one of the darkest days I have seen along Lake Superior in years. The lake itself had 2-4ft gray waves with whitecaps from the SE. The high this afternoon was 68 after a morning low of 59.
Sept 19: With a low of 57 and a high of 66, the overcast skies kept the temperatures steady yesterday. Rain felt like it was moments away but all we got was a sprinkle here and there. The smell of campfires was in the air as leaves gradually change color. The storms we have had the past few weeks have reorganized our rocky beach and for the first time in the 14 years we have lived here we have a little patch of pebble beach streching about 30 feet. Lake Superior had 2-3ft waves from the SE.
Sept 18: We had a morning low of 46 this morning and an afternoon high of 61. Skies were cloudy or overcast all day and looked like we were constantly on the verge of rain which didn't materialize until 9pm tonight. Lake Superior had 3ft dark gray waves pounding the shore.
Sept 17: Coming over Thompson Hill in Duluth and getting that first glimpse of Lake Superior beyond the Duluth harbor always gives me a great sigh and I can feel the tension from being away from home slip away. We left Northfield this morning to cooler temps and those temps stayed just about constant all the way north. It was 59 when we left at 8am and it was 59 when we pulled into Grand Marais about 4pm. Lake Superior was a deep blue with whitecaps in the 2-3ft waves.
Sept 16: We traveled to SE Minnesota last night and by the time we got to Northfield at 11pm it was still 81 degrees and humid. I have to admit I have become intolerrant fo heat and humidity after all these years living on the North Shore. Rain fell at about 4:30 am and finally cooled things down a little. The runners at the cross country meet were unilaterally complaining about the humidity at the 10am start time. Temps climbed back up into the mid 80's by the afternoon. Sure miss that big body of cool water.
Sept 15: The wind really blew today. Lake Superior had 3-4ft waves blasting the shore with a healthy amount of whitecaps. It rained pretty hard last night picking up an inch of rain. Today was overcast and on the verge of rain which came down only lightly a couple of times.
Sept 14: It was a strange day along Lake Superior. There was a haze in the air all day and some of time the air actually smelled. The smoke from the wildfires in the west continues to give us hazy days and a red sun in the morning and evenings. I even saw a red reflection off the lake around 2pm. The lake itself was a silver gray with only ripples on the water. Late in the afternoon the winds picked up as a precursor to the lightning storm that has just got to Grand Marais at 8:30pm. The low temperature was 59 and the high 71.
Sept 13: Lake Superior is subdued this morning with just small waves coming straight in from the SSE. They are gently breaking against the shore. To the east the sun has come up and is once again a red ball most likely from the western wildfires. Our low this morning is 56 and it is expected to be a warm day with the clear (although with a slight haze) blue skies and sun.
Sept 12: We woke up to a red sun this morning in the sky well up past the horizon. We suspect the haze and the red color of the sun is caused by the western wildfires and the diffused smoke moving to the east. It was beautiful but a bit eerie if you think of its source. Our morning low was 58 and our high was 72. Lake Superior had 1-2ft light blue waves today. It was a welcome relief from the din made by the crashing waves yesterday. Signs of fall continue to pop up. All the Moose Maples now have reds mixed in with the green here along the shore. Up the trail, many of the Moos Maples are already totally red and orange.
Sept 11: It warmed up overnight and we woke to 60 degrees. Lake Superior was boisterous with 3-4ft metallic blue waves from the south. Skies were mostly clear with a light overcast at times. The sun warmed us up to 72 this afternoon.
Sept 10: Lake Superior was a bright blue with 2-3ft waves from the south calling out to us. It was a day to spend outside enjoying the fresh fall beauty of the boreal forest. We had a low this morning of 45 and an afternoon high of 68. We had to almost yell to be heard above the waves anywhere near the lake.
Sept 9: It is a stunning September Saturday. With a morning low of 45 temps have rose steadily to 63 this afternoon. With clear blue skies overhead, Lake Superior is a striking metallic blue with 2ft waves from the south making their voice heard as they strike the shore. The start of the changing colors is now unmistakable with our Moose Maples beginning to take on reds, oranges, and yellows.
Sept 8: Lake Superior is blue with just ripples and a textured surface. We have clear blue skies and only a faint breeze. Our morning low was 48 and our afternoon high so far is at 5pm with 65 degrees.
Sept 7: It rained overnight, it is raining this morning, and it looks like we might get rain on and off through the day. Right now we have sun poking out through the cloudy skies. It is 54 after a morning low of 48 here next to the lake. Lake Superior is a pale blue with a textured surface but no noticable waves. Sept 6: Lake Superior has only small waves from the south today against partly cloudy sky that has some very dark clouds to the west. There was scattered rain in the afternoon. The morning low was 48 and the afternon high climbed to 68. The color of the lake kept changing with the changing cloudcovers.
Sept 5: We had a morning low of 50 after a couple rainstorms overnight. Today we had popcorn showers all day long. There were spells of blue skies but seldom any sun as one small dark rain cloud after another kept passing by from the NW. The afternoon high was just above 60 and Lake Superior had 1-2ft gray waves.
Sept 4: Happy Labor Day. We had mostly overcast clouds today and occasional sprinkles after a lightning storm and heavy rain last night. The high was 68. Lake Superior had 1-2ft waves from the south and was mostly gray with an occasional bluish tint.
Sept 3: We had a low of 59 this morning and a high of 68 this afternoon. Overcast skues most of the day kept things from warming up too much. When the sun was out for little moments you could tell it would really warm up if not for the presence of clouds. The lake had silver gray 2-3ft waves from the south and was much more subdued than yesterday.
Sept 2: It was surprisingly warm this morning after a cold evening. The morning low was 59. Rain began late last night and continued to mid morning. Lake Superior had huge 4-5ft waves whose reach went all the way to our vegetation line. With the high water level and the big waves, there is nowhere to hike along our shore today without getting splashed. The warm morning turned into a warm afternoon peaking around 74 and fairly humid with popcorn rain bursts hitting us between bouts of sunshine. The lake was a steel gray with whitecaps from the south.
Sept 1: It was 48 this morning, the lake was crashing, and the wind was blowing. It felt like fall. Summer seems to be quickly leaving the North Shore. Lake Superior had 3-4ft metallic blue waves with whitecaps from the south this morning being pushed along by the wind from the same direction. Overhead are cloudy skies with plenty of sun breaking through inbetween. The afternoon warmed up to 67 before temps began to drop again around 2pm. The noise of the lake and wind require you to almost yell to be heard.
August 2017
Aug 31: August ended feeling more like fall than the last days of summer. Our morning low was 50 with our afternoon high of 67. Things are cooling off quickly tonight and a fire will feel good to be sitting nearby. Skies today were mostly cloudy but always with patches of blue. Lake Superior was a deep blue with dark green shadows and 1-2ft waves from the SE.
Aug 30: It was a beautiful partly cloudy day in Croftville. Lake Superior was a blue green with olive shadows and 1-2ft waves from the SE. There was a pleasant breeze with a high of 71 and a low this morning of 61.
Aug 29: It is good to back to Croftville. It was a great weekend but there is no place like home for us. There is a heavy dew this morning with white overcast skies. Lake Superior is a faint green with 6 inch waves from the SSW. I can't tell yet if the sun will burn off this overcast. We are at 60 degrees this morning.
Aug 28: It was 66 when we left Minneapolis this morning and it was 66 when we rolled into Grand Marais this evening. In between we saw a high of 68 on the hill in Duluth while we did a shopping detour. The lake was a deep blue on our drive up the shore. Looking toward Grand Marais there was a bank of black clouds, but it never did rain on us. It was curious how many signs of trees turning color we saw south of Duluth but there are really no signs of trees turning colors on the North Shore yet.
Aug 27: We spent the entire day away from Lake Superior today but had a great day at the Minnesota State Fair. We visited the Fine Arts building and were taken by how many pieces of art involved the North Shore. Then we found the same thing in the crop art in the Horticulture building.
Aug 26: We are heading south today to take our son back to college in Northfield. We will be back Monday night and it will be our longest time away from the lake since last August. I am always surprised how much I miss the lake and am already looking forward to coming over the crest of Thompson Hill in Duluth to see the lake again. This morning it is a white overcast with very dark clouds to the SW. How about that, that is just the direction we will be traveling. The temperature this morning is 59 after a low of 54. Lake Superior has 1ft waves from the SSE and the surface is gray with green shadows.
Aug 25: We had partly coudy skies most of today with a little sun. Lake Superior was a dark grayish blue with 1-2ft waves from the south. The mornings definately feel like fall is near with a low of 45 here in Croftville until the sun helped warm us to a high of 71. I watched crows (maybe ravens) chasing a bald eagle today.
Aug 24: It was cold this morning inland. My friend had frost on their roof at Devil Track Lake and I heard it was 30 on Seagull Lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail. By comparison, we had a balmy 49 here in Croftville and we warmed up to 72 later this afternoon. It was a mostly clear day with plenty of blue skies and a blue lake. There was little wave action but the surface was highly textured. There is a lot of talk in Grand Marais that summer is now over.
Aug 23: There are cloudbanks over the lake but the skies overhead are clear this morning. Lake Superior is calm this morning with 3 dark bluish purple bands near the horizon. The rest of the lake is silver blue with a textured surface. We dropped al the way down to 50 this morning which reinforces the sense from yesterday that fall may be just around the corner.
Aug 22: After some strong rains through the night, it was a glorius morning with a cool breeze that had the feel of fall in the air. The low was 59 degrees and it warmed up in the clear blue skies to 71 early in the afternoon. Lake Superior had 1-3ft blue waves bumping against the shore. Then, around 3pm everything changed. We had a series of popcorn showers roll through for the rest of the day. All were short in duration but they could be quite intense.
Aug 21: The skies this morning are once again occupied with high cirrus clouds and plenty of sunshine. Lake Superior only has ripples on the surface and there is a broad purplish band of water near the horizon. The rest of the lake is a shiny pale blue. Morning temperatures bottomed out at 59 after a high yesterday afternoon of 74. No breze so far this morning.
I am making a second entry today to describe the eclipse. We were fortunate that our moderate cloud cover made it possible to observe the eclipse most of the time without protective eyewear. The cloud cover was not so heavy to completely obscure the sun so most of the time we could see its outline. It did get cooler during the eclipse but not in a dramatic way like we heard reported in the areas of totality. But what we did notice was the lake becoming glass during the eclipse, the air being completely still. The light level was like twilight only at 1pm. The light levels were what you would expect if large black thunderheads were filling the sky but when you looked up you could see the eclipsed sun through just a moderate overcast cloud cover. According to the reports the sun was 70 percent covered here in Croftville.
Aug 20: At 59 degrees this morning Lake Superior is quiet with only ripples brushing against the shore. Overhead are high wispy cirrus clouds in a blue sky. There is a purple horizontal streak on the lake near the horizon with the rest of the lake a pale blue gray.
Aug 19: The sun was out this afternoon and heated things up a bit. We jumped from our low of 59 to a high of 75 here along the shore. Lake Superior had 1-2ft blue waves with navy shadows and silver highlights.
Aug 18: There was a high of 71 and a low of 62 today. Lake Superior began with 2ft roller waves from ESE and changed to 2-3ft choppy waves from the SSW by late aftrnoon. I don' usually notice such a dramatic change in direction during the course of a day. There was predictions of sun but the skies remained cloudy or light overcast all day.
Aug 17: It looks like it will be a cold day here in Croftville. The morning low was 53 and at 11am it is only 64. It really rained last night and the rain has continued (although lighter) through the morning. Skies are gray overcast with gusty winds. Lake Superior has 1-2ft silver waves from the SE with green shadows. There is a large group of skiers from Thunder Bay on roller skis that have past by on Croftville Road this morning.
Aug 16: After a beautiful morning and afternoon, rain moved in this evening. We had a high of 68 and a low this morning of 58. There was a strong breeze off the lake that kept everything comfortable and on the cool side. Lake Superior had 1-2ft blue waves with navy shadows from the SE. Aug 15: We had a low of 55 this morning and a high of 72 along the lake. Lake Superior was mostly calm with 6" waves from the south gently wooshing against the rocks. Overhead were partly cloudy skies. The lake was a pale blue with white horizontal bands.
Aug 14: We woke up to overcast skies and chances of rain today. Our temp this morning is 64. Lake Superior is calm with a textured silver gray surface just a shade darker than the horizon. There is a small cool breeze but with an almost indeterminate direction, it seems to change so quickly.
Aug 13: There were small waves on a blue Lake Superior from the south on a partly cloudy day. Rain threatened at times but never materialized. Our high was in the mid 70's and our guests were out at night enjoying a camp fire. It probably would have been much hotter if not for the cool steady breeze off the lake.
Aug 12: It was the funniest thing today. It was a gorgeous summer day with a high of 77 and a low of 60. The skies were blue, the lake was mostly calm, and there was a comfortable breeze. Then all of a sudden it was raining. We had just finished cleaning the cottages and I looked to the east, it was sunny. Then I looked to the west and it was raining. I didn't even see it coming. We had a good couple rainfalls but apparently the Rendevous Days up in Grand Portage got deluged. I heard of 3" of rain in just a couple hours.
Aug 11: With a low of 56 and a high of 75 this was a thoroughly pleasant day along the North Shore. Overhead we had mostly clear blue skies. Lake Superior was a deep blue with silver highlights and 1-2ft waves from the south.
Aug 10: We have 61 this morning and light rain. The rain began during the night and has been light and steady. Lake Superior is a gray just a shade darker than the sky with small waves from the SE.
Aug 9: The fog rolled in around 9 this morning and never left the rest of the day. We had a low of 60 and a high of 67. It rained for awhile around noon and there was thunder around 3 but with the fog we couldn't see what weather was out there. Things darkened around 6pm and then lightened up again. There must of been a storm front passing by but again with our fog we couldn't see a thing. Lake Superior was a light gray with small waves, at least what we could see of it.
Aug 8: We had a high of 81 and a low of 64 today. Wokw up to a cloudbank and it felt like rain. However, that blew over and we had a hot sun midday. But by midafternoon the clouds came back and we had several heavy bouts of rain. One of our guests even encountered hail when they entered Cook County. Tonight we have clear skies again as the sun goes down. Lake Superior had 2ft waves from the south and its color varied greatly as the skies changed.
Aug 7: We woke up to 60 degrees and clear blue skies this morning. The moon last night lit up the sky until a cloudbank moved in and gave us a little darkness. Lake Superior is a deep metallic blue with sky blue highlights and dark olive shadows. There are 2-3ft waves from the SSW and there is what is still a cool breeze coming off the hill. I doubt it will stay cool for long.
Aug 6: It is a beautiful day today with a lot of sun and some large cumulus clouds fronts passing through. There is a nice cool breeze off the lake. Lake Superior was still this morning but now has small 1ft blue waves with silver highlights from the south. Aug 5: I drove back from southern Minnesota today. We had little popcorn showers all the way to home. Temps didn't get much warmer than the low 70's. It was so great to see Superior as we went over Thompson Hill in Duluth. After some shopping in Duluth, I drove into Grand Marais with the Fisherman's Picnic fireworks display going off over the harbor welcoming me home.
Aug 4: I was away from the lake today but Teresa tells mee the it rained hard at times and the temperatures never got out of the 60's.
Aug 3: I headed to southern Minnesota this afternoon to pick up our son from Saint Olaf. He will complete his summer research internship tomorrow and I want to see his poster presentation. It looked like rain was imminent this morning in Grand Marais but I didn't see any rain until I began to drive south. It was so strange to see grown cornfields for the first time since last fall. The first one I sp[otted was around Pine City.
Aug 2: What difference a day makes. After an overnight low of 61 we are only at 65 degrees at 11am. We have mostly cloudy skies with large cumulus clouds and some sun. Lake Superior has 2ft silver blue waves with dark green shadows from the SE. The breeze is almost cold and after sweating in the sun yesterday, today I have a hooded sweatshirt on.
Aug 1: Yesterday was the hottest day of the year until today. We broke yesterday's high by 7 degrees when the themometer topped 87 this afternoon after being only 64 this morning. The lake tried to strike back with occasional breezes that gave little spells of relief from the heat and humidity. Lake Superior was a brilliant blue this morning and turned grayish later in the day when cloud cover moved in. The lake was in full voice with 3ft waves from the SSW.
July 2017
July 31: We got to 80 here in Croftville for the first time this summer. There were clear blue skies, a hot sun, very little air movement, and a blue lake with 1-2ft waves from the south. During the night we heard what must of been 3-4ft waves crashing into the rocks but by morning Superior had settles down considerably.
July 30: It might be a hot day here in Croftville. At 9am it is already 75 after a low this morning of 58. There are clear blue skies, a breeze from the west, and a blue Lake Superior with 1ft waves from the SSW.
July 29: We had a high of 78 yesterday with clear blue skies, no wind, and a flat blue lake. The only waves we heard during the night were the wakes from boats passing by somewhere on the lake. It was fun laying there in silence and then you could start to hear the brushing of small waves against the rocks. Then it would build to the waves slapping against the rocks. Then the waves would wane until finally you were laying in silence again. Today is another clear day, no breeze, and a calm lake. We have already seen several boats of all sizes and types pass by.
July 28: We have 64 degrees at 10am after a morning low of 58. There are clear blue skies and a clear blue calm lake with just small ripples. It was funny sleeping and not having any sound of the lake at all. There are again several boats on the lake, some sightseeing and some fishing and making use of the calm surface and warm temperatures.
July 27: Once again we had a low of 52 and a high of 78. Lake Superior was unusually quiet and people with boats and the Canada Geese made the most of enjoying the calm waters. There was plenty of sun with the partly cloudy skies.
July 26: There was a morning low of 52 and an afternoon high of 78 on a mostly sunny day. We had 1ft waves this morning but turned to a mostly calm blue surface this afternoon. The summer warmth felt good.
July 25: Lake Superior is calm with just ripples from the SSE this morning. There are 2 dark blue bands on the lake near the horizon. The lake is a pale silver blue except to the east where it is a diffused white. The sun is coming up into fog in the east an all you can see is a wall of white. It is 55 this morning with partly cloudy thin white clouds overhead.
July 24: There are clear blue skies overhead but at ground level we have a white fog moving in and out from the shore to the lake. We have 56 this morning and expect it to warm up into the 70's once the fog burns off. Lake Superior, at least what little we can see of it is a steel gray with 1-2ft waves from the SE.
July 23: We did have light rain overnight and it was still overcast for most of the morning, but by the afternoon it was a picture perfect North Shore day. We had partly sunny skies, a brilliant blue Lake Superior with 2-3ft waves from the SE, a cool breeeze,and a high of 77. The horizon was hazy but we spotted what we believe was a saltie since it sat to high out of the water for a freighter.
July 22: We had quite the rainstorm last night. The storm also churned up the waves, sounded like 4-5ft waves in the dark. By morning the lake had calmed down to 1-2ft grayish purple waves from the SE. Today we have had mostly cloudy skies and it looks like after as morning low of 61 our daytime high only got to 65. The cool breeze off the lake has kept the air quite cold.
July 21: We had a high of 77 and a low of 60 today. Lake Superior was mostly calm with 1-2ft blue waves from the SE and a decent amount of sun. Rain did perspire on us briefly in the lat morning.
July 20: We had a low of 60 and a high of 73 on a humid day for North Shore standards. There was cloud cover and a haze over the lake but there was also sun during the day as well. Lake Superior was a calm grayish blue with an indistinct horizon. It was a great night for campfires and gazing out at the water.
July 19: It was a light overcast day with a light haze over Lake Superior. We only had small waves and by evening the blusih gray lake was pretty much calm. Light rain fell a few times during the day but nothing substantial. We had a low of 58 and a after a high yesterday of 79, today we only got to 70.
July 18: Lots of stormclouds, thunder, and lightning passed by through the night but little rain came down. Looked like the bulk of the storms passed over the lake to our south. The waves were crashing on the shore during the night and looked to be in the 3-5ft range. By morning, they had subdued themselves down to 1-2ft gray waves from the SSW. Skies are cloudy with a little sun poking through. We are at 60 degrees this morning.
July 17: We had a low of 47 this morning with a high in the mid 60's. There were clear blue skies and I started to think it would be our 4th day in a row without rain. My confidence was my downfall and by 3pm a dark front could be seen in the west and by 4pm it was pouring down rain. So far this summer I believe 3 days it the most consecutive days withut rain here in Croftville. And it was gorgeous outside. I should have been suspicious when we spotted an ore freighter passing by. They must of known bad weather was coming and took the northern route. Lake Superior was bright blue with 2-3ft waves and a few whitecaps before it turned gray from the storm fronts.
July 16: Woke up to 56 degrees and clear blue skies except for a light haze over Lake Superior. The lake is light blue with a hint of purple in it. There are gentle 1ft roller waves from the SE with navy shadows. The birds are making quite a racket this morning, maybe they are mad at the cat.
July 15: Lake Superior had 2-3ft blue waves with dark olive shadows from the SSW today. It felt hot by Grand Marais standards with a high of 78 after a morning low of 55. And most remarkable of all, we have a second day without rain. There was plenty of sun even with the partly cloudy skies that moved in during the afternoon. It was a good day to be on the North Shore.
July 14: The waves on Lake Superior shifted to the SSW today. They were 3-4ft and brillaint blue with a little haze on the horizon. We had clear blue skies and no rain in Croftville. The wind was off the hill and with the sun we got up to 68 degrees today after a morning low of 55.
July 13: The wind was out in force this morning and churned up 4-6ft gray waves from the SE on Lake Superior. Overcast skies once again prevailed along with the rain they grought with them. Rain fell most of the day but was heavy at times. We had a low of 53 and a high of 57 this afternoon.
July 12: We had rain overnight, rain by midmorning, hard rain all afternoon, and rain tonight. Surpisingly, it reached 66 this morning but dropped back into the 50's for the rest of the day. Also in the weather mix were strong winds. Lake Superior started the day with 2-3ft dark blue gray waves from the SE. They grew to 4-5ft waves this afternoon.
July 11: We have cloud cover this morning and perhaps a little light fog on the lake making the horizon almost blend seamlessly between the sky and lake. Temps are in the low 60's and may not reach 70 unless the cloud cover moves away. The air is still, the lake is mostly calm and silver gray, and the foliage is such a deep green with all the rain we have had this month.
July 10: Today was a day of fog in Croftville. The fog rolling in and then out from the lake kept things cool and refused to let the sun get a foothold. Temps hovered in the 50's and 60's depending on the fog cover. Needless to say, there wasn't much of Superior you could see except a large white canvas and maybe 50 feet of gray lake.
July 9: We had partly cloudy skies, some sun, a pleasant breeze, and a high of 70 today. Lake Superior had metallic blue 2ft waves from the south. July 8: We have clear blue skies in Croftville and a metallic blue Lake Superior with a textured surface this morning. Our morning temp is 65 at 9am. With the sun I expect things to warm up into the upper 70's today. There is a gentle breeze from the SW.
July 7: It was a beautiful summer day along Lake Superior. We had a high of 79 after a morning low of 53. We had partly cloudy skies with plenty of sun. Lake Superior was sky blue with gentle 1-2ft waves from the south.
July 6: The skies opened up this morning and the rain came down in torrents. If that wasn't enough, once the skies partly cleared and we had sun for the midafternoon, all of a sudden a dark bank of clouds came up on us quickly and the skies opened up once again with heavy rain, lightning, thunder, and a little hail. Lake Superior responded to these storms with growning waves that were 3-5ft by the afternoon storm. I am thankful we choose to take our hike yesterday.
July 5: After a beautiful 4th of July, the black clouds we saw overtaking the Grand Marais fieworks display gave us an early morning Thunderstorm dropping a good amount of rain by daybreak. The overcast skies eventually burned off or moved away giving us sunny skies with intermitttent clouds this afternoon. We had a low of 52 and a high of 73. Lake Superior was calm except for the wakes from occasional boats. There was a strong wind that has ushered in another bank of thunderheads tonight. We might get a repeat of last night.
July 4: With a low of 53 and a high of 79 it was a beautiful holiday with plenty of sun and warmth. Lake Superior had 1ft blue waves from the SSW. Teresa was startled by a light out on the lake only to discover it was our guests out on a moonlight excursion in their kayaks. We watched the 4th of July fireworks from the Grand Marais harbor; we also watched a black loudfront moving in on Grand Marais during the fireworks.
July 3: We have a pale blue lake with ripples from the south and 62 degrees this morning. There is a dark blue narrow band right at the horizon. I am never sure what that is from. Skies overhead are blue with just a few wisps of clouds in the air. The air is still. Looking forwar to a gorgeous sunny, warm summer day on the North Shore.
July 2: What a great summer day it was in Croftville. Starting at 52 this morning we climbed to 79 briefly this afternoon before the breeze off the lake brought temps back into the 60's. Of course, we owe it to the sun which came out for almost the entire day. And for the first time in what I think is over a week we had no rain even though it looked like it might make a try with some storm clouds this afternoon. Lake Superior was a brilliant blue with only ripples on the surface and a crisp horizon for the first time in a week.
July 1: And just like that, it is July. Of course with a new month we hoped for new weather. Unfortunately that is not yet to be. Once again we had overcast skys and rain although we did see the sun pop out from behind the clouds for awhile this morning. Lake Superior has a hazy horizon. Its surface is a shiny silver with nothing more than ripples on its surface. There was a low of 53 this morning and a whopping high of 58 this afternoon. Just can't get the air to warm up here by the lake without the sun.
June 2017
June 30: It was foggy today and could seldom see the horizon. Rain was intermittant. Lake Superior was gray with small waves from the SE. We had a low this morning of 54 and a high of 66. It is actually surprising that it even got that warm without the sun.
June 29: Wow, did it rain hard yesterday afternoon and through the night. This morning we woke up to gray overcast skies, mist, and a strong wind from the west. Lake Superior has 1ft gray waves from the SE. There is a dark gray band of water at the horizon. Overnight the low was 54 and we are at 63. I doubt we will get much warmer unless the cloud cover leaves. This is unlikely since they are predicting more rain still.
June 28: There was sun at sunrise but overcast skies quickly moved in. They are predicting rain but so far we just have dark skies to the south and white overcast here in Croftville. Lake Superior has 1ft gray waves from the SE and a gently breeze coming off the lake giving us a morning low of 48.
June 27: We might have our first day without any rain in quite some time. Overhead we have a mixture of blue skies and puffy white cumulus clouds. Lake Superior has 1-2ft blue waves with dark navy shadows from the SSW. The morning temp was 50 and at noon we are still only 54.
June 26: It was nice to have some sun again but only for spurts as the rain kept coming one storm cloud after another. The sun let things warm up to 62 after starting the morning with 48. It has been a crazy month with so many rain showers. Lake Superior was covered with fog at times and with so much cloud cover the surface stayed a blue gray. Only ripples for waves today. Boy, did it rain hard overnight.
June 25: We have a colder repeat of yesterday. Lake Superior is gray with 1ft waves from the south. The horizon cannot be seen for the fog. Everything seems incredibly green and the rain continues to come down. We had a low this morning of 50 and so far the afternoon high is 52.
June 24: It was a day of gray water, gray skies, and rain. The lake horizon and the 2ft waves from the SSW disappeared into the fog. Temps started at 52 and never even reached 60 today.
June 23: We had skies that looked like rain could come down at any momonet with large cloud banks passing by. All we got was a few sprinkles throughout the day. But we also had sun. Enough sun to get the afternoon temp up to 75 which is probably as warm as we have seen here along the lake this year. Lake Superior was a steel blue with 2-3ft waves belting the shore. June 22: We had a high of 67 and a low of 51 today along the big lake. Lake Superior had 2-3ft steel blue waves coming in at an oblique angle from the SW. Weather was a mixed bag with a hard rain last night followed by a clear sky sunrise. Then just like that it was heavy fog that took until late afternoon to burn off. When it did we had partly sunny skies with lots of clouds and cloudfronts.
June 21: It got to 72 today but it didn't feel that warm. Mostly dark overcast skies with bouts of sun covered both the lake and Croftville. The lake itself was a dark bluish gray most of the day but could change rapidly with the cloud cover. Not really much for waves but there was a very textured surface.
June 20: We had a morning low of 51 and a high of 60 today down by the lake in Croftville. Skies were mostly cloudy with a mixture of blak and white clouds. Rain fell several times today and the sun would peek out once in awhile. Lake Superior was misty with an indistinct or missing horizon often. The lake is a dark gray with 1ft rollers coming in from the SSW.
June 19: Lake Superior has 1ft blue gray roller waves from the SSW and a textured surface. There is a light breeze from the SW and the temperature this morning is 55. Skies overhead are cloudy with a touch of blue. There is a black cloudbank on the southeastern horizon.
June 18: It was a mixed day of rain, heavy at times, and dark overcast skies. Lake Superior had a gray surface with 1ft roller waves from the south. We watched 2 wood ducks fishing in front of the resort. The low this morning was 47 and the high was 66.
June 17: We had a taste of almost everything today except for clear blue skies. There were big puffy cumulus clouds, a little sun, some fog, some rain, and some gray overcast skies. Lake Superior was a calm silver blue this morning and developed 1-2ft waves from the SE in the afternoon. We had a low of 50 and a high of 64.
June 16: We have had cloudy skies with a little sun and a little rain. Got down to 47 and had a high of 66. Lake Superior was fairly calm with a textured silver blue surface.
June 15: The dense fog is still here this morning. Visibility on the lake is only about 50ft and our temperature is still 47. What you can see of the lake is a faint silver blue with 1-2ft roller waves from the SE.
June 14: It was pretty hot in the rest of the arrowhead but Grand Marais was once again the exception. We went over to Virginia to pick up some supplies and the temps inland rose into the low 80's. However, as we returned home to Grand Marais we watched the temperature go steadily down and when we pulled into town around 7pm it was 47. I am sure the cold fog covering the shore all the way from Silver Bay helped cool things off. Lake Superior had bright blue 2-3ft waves from the SE in the morning from the south.
June 13: The lightning storm lit up the sky last night and dropped plenty of rain. We stayed awake watching the display over the lake from our windows and listening to the thunder and some close by strikes. This morning we still had overcast skies but the rain had ended. The sun eventually burned off the sun and we had a high of 78 with a low of 48. Lake Superior had 3ft waves from the south.
June 12: It is the warmest day of the year with a high of 78 this afternoon. We have 1-2ft gray waves from the south brushing against the shore. It stayed pretty warm overnight in the 50's. Today we have had partly cloudy skies. When the sun was out it would really warm things up.
June 11: Low this morning of 47. The skies are dark and overcast mostly. We had bouts of rain this morning but a pretty nice afternoon. Our guests are enjoying a campfire. Lake Superior has 2-3ft blue gray waves from the SE. You can see a fog bank out over the lake that looks like headlands across the lake.
June 10: It stayed warm overnight with a low of 55. We had a warm rain during the night and so far continuing intermittently this morning. Lake Superior is speaking this morning with 2ft gray waves hitting the shore from the SE. The sun is trying to peak out through breaks in the dark gray clouds.
June 9: It started with a textured surface on the lake and by late afternoon you would have to finally call them small waves. After several days of a silent lake with a glass surface, Lake Superior is beginning to speak again. Temperature wise, we had a low of 49 and a high of 70. That may be the first 70 degree day we have had in Croftville this year.
June 8: The calm lake unusually continues. We had clear skies this morning but dark overcast clouds moved in by noon. Lake Superior had what looked like a fog bubble sitting out over it making the horizon fade away. I thought it was going to be a warm day waking up to 52 and sun but with the clouds and drizzle we are going to stay in the mid 60's.
June 7: Lake Superior was glass again today. The waves were generated by boats passing by making the most of completely calm big water. Our temperature range was from 46 to 69. It was funny to hear flocks of geese flying over head with the lake being dead silent.
June 6: A low of 51 and a high of 69 was found on a breezeless day in Croftville. You could see the concentric ripples on the lake from a fish touching the surface it was so calm. The lake had 2 horizontal bands. The band near shore was a medium blue and you could see all the rocks beneath the surface. The band near the horizon was a pale blue and sometimes almost white. There was not a cloud in the sky all day. However, the horizon at times looked almost foggy.
June 5: It was a beautiful summer day in Croftville with a low of 44 and a high of 69. We had rain overnight but blue skies by morning. Lake Superior had 2 horizontal bands. There was a flat pale band from a couple miles out to the horizon. There was a textured bold blue band nearer the shore. The interface between them alternated twice with 2 very narrow bands. I treid to come up with a wild hypothesis to explain this but instead decided just to enjoy the view.
June 4: The rain from last night was already dried off this morning. There are patches of blue amidst a fairly dark cloud cover this morning. The temp this morning is 44. Lake Superior is a steel gray with a textured surface. There is a light blue band on the water at the horizon.
June 3: We had a mixed bag of weather today with a little sun in the morning and late afternoon. Then there was the overcast skies and a brief light rain in the middle of the day. And finally there was the thunderstorm over the lake in the evening that lit up the sky and brought us rain as we got ready for bed.
June 2: We planted our flower boxes today figuring that we should be safe from frost now that it is June. It has been less than 2 weeks since our last heavy frost. All the native trees have now leafed out including the balsam aspen and the mountain ash. The Juneberries are now in bloom. Lake Superior was a bright blue with small waves from the SE and black shadows. There was plenty of sun with a high of 60 after a morning low of 38.
June 1: We traveled to Duluth for a section track meet. It felt so good to be comfortable out in the sun just in shirtsleeves. It was warm in the 60's and by afternoon on the hill it was 83 in those big store parking lots. Lake Superior was a brilliant blue with a textured surface and black shadows. As we traveled back to Grand Marais we watched the temperatures drop. It was 40 degrees when we pulled into town.
May 2017
May 31: It is a warm breezy day along the Lake Superior shore. The overcast skies quickly burned off leaving clear blue skies all the way to the horizon. Highs are in the lower 60's and you can watch the dandelions grow in the sun. The big lake is a deep blue with small waves from the south and a textured surface indicating the wind gusts.
May 30: Cloudy and cool today. Temps rose into the low 50's. Lake Superior is a pale blue gray and mostly calm.
May 29: Happy Memorial Day. We once again have a mixed bag of weather although temps are a little warmer today in the upper 50's and lower 60's. The apsen leaves are getting bigger by the day and even the quaking aspen right next to the shore are starting to leaf out.
May 28: The weather is a hodgepodge of rain, overcast, partly cloudy, and sun. The result is what you see on Lake Superior depends on the particular moment you decide to gaze out on her. Inspite of the weather our guests still are enjoying the lake and a campfire even though they need to seek shelter every so often.
May 27: There was a spectacular sunrise this morning if you were up early enough to enjoy it. A cloudbank on the horizon created a beautiful light display with the rising sun. Soon afterwards, light overcast skies have moved in and a haze over the lake is stopping the sun. I wouldn't be surprised if the sun burnes off this haze. Lake Superior is calm with a rippled surface.
May 26: We had a low of 46 and a high of 60 yesterday along Lake Superior. The lake had 1ft roller waves on a pale blue gray slightly textured surface. We had a wide variety of skies yesterday with varying degrees of clouds, overcast, mist, and light rain. The quaking aspen now have the noticable spring green hue and the paper birch are leafing out. The red osier dogwood is budding.
May 25: It was a beautiful spring day in Croftville with a low of 48 this morning and a high of 65 this afternoon. We had partly cloudy skies with plenty of sun. Lake Superior was a metallic blue with 2ft waves from the south brushing the shore. It was our first day of mowing this season, how does that compare with all my friends in southern Minnesota?
May 24: Traveled to Duluth today to watch our daughter's track meet. The night low was 37 but by morning it had climber to 51 degrees. The funny thing is that is where the temp stayed all day in the low 50's. When the sun was shining on you and you were out of the strong wind it was warm. Otherwise, you got colder and colder. Lake Superior was a slightly hazy blue gray with 1-3ft waves from the SE.
May 23: The sun tried to come out today but just didn't quite make it. Overcast skies and light rain was the order of the day in Croftville. The high was right around 50. Lake Superior was mostly calm and grayish blue.
May 22: We had a low of 36 and a high of 57. Lake Superior had 2-3ft blue gray waves from the SE. The aspens continue to leaf out dramatically changing the look of the boreal forest.
May 21: Dark skies cover the big lake and Croftville this morning. The rain began around 7pm last night and has continued through the night. Our overnight low was 44 and without any sun I don't think we will see 50 today. However, the rain is opening the buds on the quaking aspens adding a new leaf green to the forest-scape. Lake Superior is gray with a hint of green and has 2-3ft waves from the SE.
May 20: I watched the crescent moon rise in the early morning hours and begin to move across the sky. There were 2 ore frieghters passing by in the night suggesting poorer weather to the south. The morning was sunny but by noon overcast skies moved in with the feel of rain on its way. Lake Superior flexed its muscles a little bit with 3-4ft gray waves and whitecaps from the SE. Temps stayed in the 40's all day.
May 19: It was as beautiful day as we can get here in the spring along the big lake. Lots of sun, beautiful cumulus clouds, a brisk breeze, and a high of 57 after a low of 36 and frost on the ground and roofs. Lake Superior was a deep metallic blue with 2-3ft waves with some whitecaps from the SE.
May 18: The rain fell all night and continues to steadily come down this morning. Overnight low dropped to 40 and unless the overcast skies and rain end I don't think we will get any warmer than 50 today. Skies are dark gray with patches of white overcast. Lake Superior is a silver gray with 2ft waves from the ESE.
May 17: Surprisingly, no rain fell this morning in spite of dark ominous skies and strong winds. However, rain started coming down about 1pm and the moderate rain was steady for the rest of the day. Lake Superior is a dark gray with 203ft waves from the SE.
May 16: We are in the low 50's today. It looked like rain ever since we got up but the rain didn't actually start until noon. Skies are a gray overcast. Once the rain started the lake horizon became indistinct. Lake Superior has 1ft light bluish gray waves from the SE.
May 15: I drove to Duluth today to retrieve a replacement for a failed valve stem that I couldn't get in Grand Marais. Although there were dark clouds and foreboding weather in Grand Marais, it never got a drop of rain. However, the same could not be said for Two Harbors and Duluth. It was raining so hard in Two Harbors I had to pull off the road and wait for it to subside. Temps stayed in the mid 40's except in Duluth were it managed the low 50's on the hill. Lake Superior was a dark steel gray. It was fun to see that the quaking aspen was leafing out in Duluth. We can't be more than a week behind, but the aspens are barely budding in Grand Marais. Teresa saw her first hummingbird outside Cottage 3 today.
May 14: It's 47 this morning and the temperature is falling, hopefully not too far. We have cloudy skies with small patches of blue. Lake Superior is gray and textured with 1ft waves from the SE. There is also a white streak parallel with the shore about 50 yards out, perhaps a lake current.
May 13: Lake Superior was blue and textured with light streaks parallel with the shore. I often see these streaks in the winter. I think they are currents moving roughly parallel with the shore but no one has ever confirmed this with me. There was a low of 46 this morning and a high of 60. It was a partly sunny day with more clouds showing up later in the afternoon.
May 12: It managed to hit 60 today after starting at 34 this morning. Lake Superior is a pale blue with clear blue skies overhead. The surface is smooth with only small ripples for waves from the south. You can see all the rocks on the lake bed with the surface being so smooth. The tamaracks are starting to get back their spring needles. The birch and aspen are just starting to bud. Spring has finally sprung here along the lake.
May 11: The moon was full last night but the clouds kept it from coming out. However, there were enough breaking in the clouds that the backlighting from the full moon would light up parts of the thinner clouds. The sky looked like a batik cloth and was beautiful. I watched the sky each time I woke up during the night. This morning we woke up to blue skies with just a few high cirrus clouds. The overnight low was a surpisingly high 45 and it just might be a warm day. Lake Superior is blue with patches of textured surfaces and patches of smooth water.
May 10: The high for today is 53 which is right now at 9pm. We had frost this morning and it stayed in the low 40's all day. Skies were mostly cloudy with brief patches of blue opening up every once in awhile. Lake Superior was a buish gray and calm with textured patches out on the lake.
,br> May 9: Gitche Gumi had light gray overcast skies and a light gray textured surface with small waves from the SE. There was a low this morning of 42 and right now at 2:30 in the afternoon we are at 44.
May 8: The day started at 28, quickly rose to 54 in the sun, and then plummeted into the low 40's when the wind changed and started coming off the lake. Lake Superior was mostly calm with a silver blue textured surface and small waves coming from the SSW.
May 7: It was a cold and mostly sunny day. We started with frost this morning but managed to get to 50 just briefly this afternoon before dropping quickly back into the 30's. Lake Superior had 2ft blue waves from the SSW. The small breeze off the lake just refused to let things warm up for long.
May 6: We traveled down to Cloquet today for a track meet. It was wonderful to feel how warm the sun can make things when you are a half hour away from Lake Superior. I got a bad sunburn on my face because it hadn't even occurred to me that I should wear a hat to protect myself from the sun. I guess it is time to get my head back into summertime thinking even though it doesn't feel like it yet next to the lake. The clear blue skies had the lake a glistening silver blue with small waves from the SE.
May 5: Today was a demonstration in the ability of Lake Superior to instantly change the weather with a simple change in direction of the breeze. Skies had plenty of blue with a few large cumulus clouds. We had made it up to 54 in the early afternoon with the breeze coming down off the hill. The breeze changed to coming off the lake and in 10 minutes the temperatures plummetted 18 degrees down to 36. Spring is trying to come out but winter with the help of Gitche Gumi is still trying to hold on.
May 4: There was some scattered rain overnight but today the skies are mostly clear with an occasional cumulus cloud floating by. Overnight the low only went down to 41 and the sun is once again warming us up. Lake Superior has a smooth surface pale blue surface with small 6" waves from the SSW. The grass is a noticable shade of greener today and I saw that the gooseberries have begun to leaf out here along the shore.
May 3: The low this morning is 33 and there is frost on the roofs and the grass. However, we have clear blue skies and the sun now takng a high path through the sky will warm things up rapidly. Lake Superior is a light silver blue with navy shadows on its textured surface but there is no discernable direction for the small waves. There is a dark blue thin band on the horizon right next to the white horizon line.
May 2: What a difference a day can make. After a high of only 39 yesterday, today we hit 60 degrees here in Croftville. There was plenty of sun, a calm blue lake, and a gentle breeze. On the horizon we could see dark skies in northen Wisconsin and we were spared whatever weather they were getting.
May 1: May greets us with cold rain and wind. Lake Superior is gray with limited visibility and an absent horizon line. Once in a while the rain turned to sleet and freezing rain. Waves were 2-3ft from the SSW.
April 2017
Apr 30: It was a better than expected day in Croftville. We had mostly cloudy skies, a low of 40, and a a high of 47 along the lake. The weather people were predicting rain and snow but I guess it has been delayed until tomorrow. The lake turned from calm to 2-3ft waves from the south by mid morning.
Apr 29: We had a low of 30 and a high 49 today. There was plenty of sun and ice spring day here in Croftville. Lake Superior was surprisingly calm with only waves a little bigger thasn ripples from the south. Just past us from Colvill on our guests told us there was still 3-4 inches of snowcover from 2 days ago.
Apr 28: We have a morning low of 28 and I am hoping that temps rise quickly so I do not have to shovel snow and sprinkle sand before our guests in all 3 cottages arrive this afternoon. Skies are still mostly cloudy but I can see breaks in the clouds in places. The birds are out again this morning. They look fat but I know they just have their feathers puffed out to keep themselves warm. They seem to have a better attitude than I do knowing the snow is now only temporarily covering the signs of spring. Lake Superior is a dark greenish gray this morning with 2-3ft waves from the SSW.
Apr 27: Today was the return of winter. Woke up th 24 degrees and the crinkling sound of ice clinging fast to the trees but cracking as the trees swayed in the breeze. Last night I watched 4 ore freighters pass by all decked out in their lights. The snow started around 10am and continued until about 6pm leaving 1-2 inches of fresh snow on top of the 1 inch of sleet and ice deposited yesterday. We finally got up to freezing about 3pm before turning colder again. The most remarable thing of the day was watching the birds birds of every kind swarming about and faraging and pecking through the snow and sleet. I felt bad for them but they seemed to be having a great time.
Apr 26: We have woke up to freezing rain and sleet here along the North Shore. Schools are canceled and my help with the inn are staying home. Everything is covered with ice and it is not supposed to end until this late afternoon. They are predicting snow for tomorrow. Lake Superior is gray and the sky is white.
Apr 25: With a high of 49 and a low of 32 it was a cold spring day with occasionally cold rain coming down. The sun never was able to poke through the cloud cover. Lake Superior was gray with 2-3ft waves from the SSE. Our daughter's outdoor track meet in Two Harbors was canceled because of cold weather, rain, and wind.
Apr 24: We woke up to an inch of snow blanketing everything. The snow was gone by 10am but the cool temperatures continued through the day with a low of 31 and a high of 41. Skies overhead are gray and overcast. Lake Superior started the day with small waves that quickly grew with the cold wind to 5-6ft whitecaps from the ESE. These waves really churned things up and there was a broad band of brownish copper water for 50 yards from the shore.
Apr 23: Yesterday ended with a high of 62 before dropping back down to 35 last night. The waves built yesterday into 4-5ft rollers from the SSW. This morning Superior has calmed down and we are back to 1-2ft silver gray waves from the SSW. Skies overhead are cloud covered but the sun yesterday helped to add some green to the grass.
Apr 22: We had a low of 35 this morning but with mostly sunny skies things are warming up nicely. The big lake has a silver blue surface with navy shadows and 1-2ft waves from the south.
Apr 21: There were several lights from ships passing by Croftville last night. As the clouds waned, the stars came out in full force. This morning we have mostly clear skies with a few wisps of clouds scattered about. The lake has a highly textured surface of blues and 1-2ft waves from the south. Our morning low is 37 which is already warmer than all of yesterday.
Apr 20: Rain and sometimes snow was the recipe for today. The precipitation started before dawn and continued into the night. There were strong winds and 3-4ft gray waves out on Lake Superior. Just before I went to bed we started to see stars coming out as the cloud front dissipated. Apr 19: Warm temps with a high in the 50's and partly cloudy skies and lots of sun were found along Lake Superior today. The lake had bright blue 2-3ft waves from the SE.
Apr 18: It is cold and overcast today. There is occasional cold rain and mist falling. Lake Superior is gray with 2ft waves from the SSE. There is a hint of blue and green near the light horizon to the south. I woke up to 32 degrees and at 10am it is now a whopping 34 degrees. There is no sun to warm things up and there is the talk of possible snow. I just looked out the window and the snow has begun falling.
Apr 17: We left Northfield this morning at 52 degrees. A bit chilly after the amazing day yesterday but still comfortable. As we drove north on the interstate the temps gradually dropped until we were down to 46 in Cloquet. As we approached our descent from Thompson hill into Duluth we watched the temperatures drop 11 degrees to 35 at the bottom of the hill. Welcome back to the reality of the North Shore. We heard it was only 26 in Grand Marais but by the time we got back to Grand Marais a warm temperature mass had moved in and it was a balmly 34. When we weren't dodging dear we noticed fresh snow deposited on the needles of the fir and spruce trees.
Apr 16: It was a beautiful southern Minnesota spring day. We had a cool crisp morning, clear blue skies allowed the sun to warm things up for a shirt sleeve afternoon. You could actually notice the difference in the buds and small leaves opening up from morning to evening.
Apr 15: It was uncomfortaly humid last night when we got to Prior Lake. We enjoyed a thunderstorm during the night and by morning the humidity was better and the temps a little cooler. It was fun to hear the strong rain and the thunder. I think the last thunder we heard in Grand Marais was back in November.
Apr 14: We are heading south to Faribault for Easter and a couple days with our son at Saint Olaf. A happy Easter weekend to all our friends in Grand Marais, I heard it is supposed to rain. We will be back on Monday. In the meantime, I will let you know all about spring in SE Minnesota that according to our son, Joey, is in full bloom. For those of you heading north, we will wave to you on the interstate.
Apr 13: It is a beautiful spring day along the Croftville Road. Although we have clear blue skies overhead, the horizon over the lake is indistinct melding from a pale blue placid lake to a white haze and then finally back into a pale blue sky. This is a common look in the summer but the first time I have noticed it this spring. The low was 33 and our high so far is 48 late this afternoon.
Apr 12: Down to 28 this morning and up to 53 this afternoon. The breeze off the lake made it seem cooler and that cold air blew right into the inn. Lake Superior was blue with a hint of green against light blue skies and a lot of sun.
Apr 11: It was cold at 31 this morning but the sun warmed things to 53 this afternoon before things rapidly cooled off back to 32 after sunset. Lake Superior was a steel blue and we got to see a freighter pass by.
Apr 10: The wind went crazy last night. Windows were whistling, trees were creaking, and the lake was rolling. It has calmed down a little this morning. There are 2-3ft blue green waves from the SE. The temperature started the day at 51 and then dropped through the morning to 35 before rebounding this afternoon back to 42. Looking across the lake we can see that we are lucky with the gray and white cloud cover. Northern Wisconsin has dark blue and black clouds over it.
Apr 9: It is warm out this morning already at 52 degrees. Clouds have moved in overnight and we now have gray overcast skies. Lake Superior is also gray with 6 inch waves from the SSW gently brushing the shore.
Apr 8: I noticed today that the snow on our septic mounds is now gone. There is stil some melting drifts in the woods and there is the piled snow still on the north side of our cottages. But overall, the snow cover is now mostly gone down by Lake Superior. It was 54 today after a low of 31 this morning. What a great day to be outside in shirt sleeves.
Apr 7: It is a beautiful day here in Croftville along Lake Superior. We have guests hiking the rocks on our shore and just enjoying the lake. The high this afternoon is in the low 50's.
Apr 6: It was a little cooler today but still a georgeous early April day with lots of sun. Lake Superior had 2-3ft blue waves from the south. We had a high of 49 and a low of 33.
Apr 5: There was a low of 37 and a high of 60 today although it did not feel as warm as yesterday. Lake Superior was calm and light blue and there was only the faintest breeze. Overhead there were a few wisps of clouds in the largely blue sky. I saw our fox trotting down the road tonight with something about the size of a chipmunk in his mouth. He wouldn't even stop to look at me when I was talking to him which is unusual for this curious fox.
Apr 4: There was a low this morning of 35 and a high this afternoon of 60. I am not sure the last time we saw 60 degrees along the lake but my guess is October. There has been a dark blue band along the Lake Superior horizon, sometimes it is fairly wide and sometimes it is quite thin. Whatever it is, I have no idea what is causing it. The rest of the lake is fairly unremarkable with a light blue gray mostly calm surface. However, the day was gorgeous with some sun, partly cloudy skies, and warmth. The large drift between the inn and my temporary workshop that has been causing me grief since Christmas finally disappeared today.
Apr 3: We got light rain here in Croftville starting late yesterday afternoon. This morning it is misting and the sky is a dark overcast. The uniformly gray lake has only ripples coming in from the SSE. The low this morning was 35 degrees and it is presently 42.
Apr 2: We open the day with blue skies with light high clouds and 36 degrees down by the lake. We have 1ft waves from the SE undulating over the blue textured surface with navy shadows. I slept in so I missed the sunrise. The horizon line is a crisp dark blue against white.
Apr 1: The air is still and Lake Superior is still this morning. We have mostly cloudy skies with a smattering of blue overhead. The lake horizon has a darker overcast sky to the south. Gitche Gumi is a light gray with dark gray shadows on its slightly textured surface. It stayed warm overnight and I woke up to 44 degrees. That is certinly the warmest overnight temp of the year and depending on what those overcast skies to the south decide to do.
March 2017
Mar 31: March went out with a spectacular day here in Croftville. We had an overnight low of 31 and a high of 47 with lots of sun and a few clouds. The big lake was at its best with 2-4ft bright blue waves from the SE.
Mar 30: We had a low of 32 and a high of 48 today along the North Shore with mostly clear skies and a brisk wind. Lake Superior waves grew from 2ft this morning to 3-4ft this afternoon. From what I understand it was warmer hear than in southern Minnesota today.
Mar 29: The orange sun is just coming up over the clear horizon. It is now noticable how much the sunrise has moved out of the southern skies and is creeping northward as the equinox has now passed. Except near the sunrise, Lake Superior has 1-2ft blue waves with navy shadows from the SSE. Our low this morning is 33.
Mar 28: There was a low of 32 and a high of 48 today. This was or us along Croftville Road the warmest day this spring. The skies were mostly clear with lots of sun and it felt like spring. Up until now many of our warm days felt more like late fall or early winter, but today was definately spring. Even the cat was excited and behaving frisky as she looked for anything that moved that she could hunt. Waves on the big lake were 1-2ft, blue, and from the south.
Mar 27: The temperatures continue to linger in the 30's just above freezing and today looks to be the same with a low of 32 overnight. Overcast skies are overhead but off on the lake horizon there is a band of lighter skies. The 1-2ft waves have shifted and are now from the SSW. Lake Superior is light blue with olive green shadows.
Mar 26: At 36 degrees, I guess it is too warm to snow so we have a light rain coming down this morning. Lake Superior was really roaring in the middle of the night but it has calmed down to just 2ft bluish green waves with olive shadows from the SSE this morning. The snow continues to melt with about half of the ground now bare.
Mar 25: The waves began to stir in the middle of the night and it was good to hear the sound of the lake again. Morning was overcast with 2-3ft gray waves from the SE. Blue skies and sun broke through at times through the day. Temps stayed above freezing.
Mar 24: Even though it didn't get down to freezing overnight, the 30's was still cold enough to drop sleet, ice, and snow on us from the sky. It was a pretty snow coming down hard at times in the dark. It reminded me more or one of those late October or early November snows that you know have no chance of lasting for long on the ground, but are so fun to walk in while it is snowing. We woke up to 1-2 inches of wet icy snow. Skies are lightly overcast and this lake is placid and silver gray to match the sky. It is already 41 at 10am.
Mar 23: It is much warmer this morning, in fact, it acutally warmed up overnight and we woke up to 30 degrees and heavy snow coming down. Visibility on the bluish gray lake was only a half mile. We don't expect much accumulation and whatever accumulates will be quite wet.
Mar 22: It was quite cold this morning with a low of 12 here on the lake and 6 below up on the trail. The temps rose finally into the upper 20's but did not even get to 30. Lake Superiot had 2-3ft blue roller waves all the way from the ESE.
Mar 21: It was 28 this morning but felt much colder with the humidity and the wind. We had snow flurries for a couple hours but when they ended the sun came out and it was quite comfortable in the sun even though the high was only 32. Lake Superior was blue with 2ft waves from the SSW.
Mar 20: It is the first day of spring and it feels like it here in Croftville. We had a low of 31 and a high of 47 with lots of sun. The snow was melting and Lake Superior had 2-3ft blue gray waves from the south.
Mar 19: With a low of 26 last night and with the melting snow yesterday there is plenty of ice to slip on this morning. But temps are quickly rising even though the sky is a gray overcast this morning. The horizon line is a white band indicating better weather in northern Wisconsin. Lake Superior is blue green with dark olvie shadows an 1-2ft waves from the SSE.
Mar 18: The wind is out this morning and gusts are buffeting the lake and then moving out across the water. There is no waves action this morning but the surface is highly textured with light blue highlights and steel blue and black shadows. There is a dark heavy band of clouds over the lake and then a lighter band of clouds on the horizon. However, overhead are blue skies with only an occasional wisp of a cloud. The low this morning is 28 but it is expected to get into the 40's today.
Mar 17: Low overnight was 32 but that was enough for us to get 2-3 inches of wet snow this morning. By afternoon it was done and as the temperaures rose further into the 30's much of the snow turned into slush. Heavy wet snow is miserable for shoveling. I noticed that many people have opted for waiting for warmer temperatures to take care of the snow instead. When the snow ended, the fog began. There was limited visibility on the big lake today.
Mar 16: It is getting warmer. No ice on the lake this morning with 15 degrees. It is now 35 this afternoon and still rising. Lake Superior has 2ft greenish blue waves from the south with clear blue skies overhead.
Mar 15: Beware of the Ides of March. With a low of 15 this morning and a calm Lake Superior it is now official. There is ice on the lake here in Croftville this morning and also yesterday morning. You can see patches of roughness on the calm lake that is ditinctively small ice pieces that are reflecting and refracting the sunlight. So, the first ice on Lake Superior in Croftville for this winter season was spotted on March 14.
Mar 14: My daughter reminded me to say Happy Pi Day today. It has become almost a holiday in school math classes. There was a low of 7 and a high of 30 today. Plenty of sun and blue skies and in spite of the air temperature being below freezing, the strong sun was heating objects up and melting snow. The big lake was blue and calm. it almost looked like there might be ice cubes floating on the surface this morning but I couldn't tell for sure. If they were, they will be back although I thought that with the late date it was too late to begin seeing ice on the lake here.
Mar 13: Well, they had 11" of lake effect snow in Duluth, my son said there was a blizzard going on at Saint Olaf, but we got nothing here in Cook County last night. This morning we have crisp blue clear skies, a low of 7, and a stark blue lake with a textured surface and black shadows with tiny waves from the SSE. It looks like it is going to be a beautiful and crisp day with a high in the teens.
Mar 12: This morning we are in the single digits with a clear horizon and clear skies. The yellow sun popped up over the horizon and got me out of bed. Last night the near full moon lit up our bedroom all night with the crisp clear skies. Lake Superior has a blue textured surface with 1ft waves from the SSE.
Mar 11: It was a cold day here along the lake starting with a low of 3 below, rising to a high of 25, and then dropping back into the single digits. We had clear skies overhead with a cloudmass over the lake in the morning due to the frigid temps. That disappeared by late morning leaving Lake Superior a deep blue with only small 1ft waves from the SSE.
Mar 10: The winds are gone, the waves are small, and the big lake is quiet. It's one of those times when the quiet is almost deafening after the heavy waves and winds of the last 3 days. We are left with 1ft blue waves from the SSW, a purple horizon, and clear blue skies overhead. Temps have returned to winter this morning with a low of 2 below zero down here by the lake.
Mar 9: It was colder this morning with a low of 9 and a high this afternoon of 25. Even though it stayed well below freezing, the bright sun high in the sky in March still has the ability to melt the snow in places. We still have strong winds today but in comparison to the past couple days they seem almost trivial. Waves on Superior are still from the SSW but have subsided down to only 3-4ft. There is plenty of sun and this makes the lake bright blue with silver highlights from the sun's reflection.
Mar 8: The high winds are less and the waves of yesterday have reduced. We have a light overcast sky with 15 degrees this morning. Lake Superor is blue green with 4-6ft waves with whitecaps from the SSW.
Mar 7: We had a high of 44 when we woke up and it dropped steadily to 18 degrees this evening. We had rain which turned to snow in the morning but then it stopped and turned to mostly cloudy skies the rest of the day with the sun occasionally peeking out. But the big news of the day was the wind. We had unceasing high winds all day with hurricane force gusts. It was hard to stand up outside. And of course these winds churned up the largest waves I have seen this winter on Lake Superior. There were 6-8ft waves from the SSW with enormous blue green whitecaps. You could hear the waves knocking the large rocks together on the shore.
Mar 6: We woke up to 39 degrees this morning. We have had light rain overnight and with the dark gray skies I expect that light rain will continue today. Lake Superior is a light silver gray with a highly textured surface and 2ft waves from the SE. The horizon line disappears into the mist over the lake.
Mar 5: It warmed up to 32 by this morning and temps continued to slowly rise all day long. Right now at 6pm we are at the high for the day of 37. At sunrise there was a cloudbank on the southern and eastern horizons delaying the sunrise over the clouds by about an hour. But shortly after that overcast skies took over. Lake Superior had 3-4ft silver gray waves from the SE crashing the shore.
Mar 4: Sunrise in Croftville was orange, peaceful, and beautiful. The sky had just a few small clouds whose tops were a dark purple and their undersides white and yellow from the rising sun. A brisk wind and an intermittent sun kept the temps just over freezing. Lake Superior had 2-3ft blue waves from the SE.
Mar 3: It was a stunning sunrise over the lake this morning at quarter to 7 with an amazing variety of oranges and yellows. It was also quite cold with and overnight low of 1 and a high today only of 23. However, if 1 above is the best March can muster aftre all the warm temps this winter, I don't think we will be seeing any ice on Superior here in Croftville. There was clear skies and you can feel the power of the sun higher in the sky even with the cold temps.
Mar 2: We mustered up a high of 35 today. Lake Superior had 3ft gray rollers from the SE that broke right at the shore. Overhead, we had mostly cloudy skies with the sun peaking out once in a while.
Mar 1: The first day of March came in like a lamb so we had better watch out for the end of the month. We had a low this morning of 15 and a high of 35. The horizon line was a dark purple blue most of the day but we just had light overcast skies. Lake Superior had 3ft blue gray rollers that broke only just before they got to shore.
February 2017
Feb 28: The day started with a couple inches of light snow. The snowploughs must be getting anxious because they ploughed Croftville Road twice this morning with only 2" of light snow. Usually they wouldn't with that little snow. We had a high of 35 and low of 25 today. Skies remained overcast and the lake remained mostly calm with a pale blue gray surface.
Feb 27: We had a low of 12 and high of 32 today. The skies were clear last night and we could enjoy the stars. We had another beautiful sunrise over the lake but skies began to cloud up after that remaining overcast the rest of the day. Lake Superior had a hazy horizon, small waves, and a light gray surface.
Feb 26: It got down to 12 last night but this morning it is already 24 at 9am. It was clear during the night but as morning drew near it clouded up over the lake and about 8am we started getting big fluffy snowflakes. It is probably lake effect snow. Lake Superior now has a hazy horizon with large 4ft smooth roller waves from the south. The lake has a pale silver blue color.
Feb 25: The wind gusts off the hill must have be near hurricane speeds. They buffet the lake's sky blue and silver surface and then you cane watch the gust move out onto the lake. The winds are so strong that they are suppressing the waves from getting back to the shore. However, if you look outward you can see huge waves with whitecaps further out. The gusts hit the surface so hard there is a spray mist over the surface of the lake.
Feb 24: It has cooled off and we stayed below freezing today signaling an end to our latest Minnesota thaw that reached all the way to Grand Marais. Skies are blue and mosrtly clear. Lake Superior is also blue with 1-2ft small waves. We still have snowcover but until we get fresh snow the snow has a hard crust on it.
Feb 23: We had a small rainstorm last night but it ended before it turned to snow although the radar claimed it was snow. Overnight we had a 29 low but we are back up to 39 this afternoon. Lake Superior has small black waves with silver reflections from the SSW.
Feb 22: There was a high of 42 today along Croftville. The warm weather and sun from the last week has almost completely eliminated the ice built up on the shore from the spray of the waves. We can once again see our dark basalt beach. Lake Superior has small waves from the south but the most striking feature is the black and silver surface of the lake as the sun reflects off the surface in the middle of the day.
Feb 21: We had a low last night of 37 and our snow continues to melt. Today we have mostly clear blue skies with patch of light clouds. It was a spectacular red and orange sunrise over the lake with 3-4ft bluye waves from the south.
Feb 20: The rain began about 11am and continued all day and partway through the night. It was so funny to hear the sound of falling rain especially in the middle of February in Grand Marais. We had a high of 44 and a low of 37 which in combination with the rain has really been taking a toll on our snow cover. There are now some patches of bare ground down here by the lake. However, that may be short-lived since there is supposed to be a winter storm coming in on the 24th. What crazy winter weather.
Feb 19: It didn't even get down to freezing last night and with the clear skies I expect another day in the 40's here in Croftville. Lake Superior is mostly calm and a pale white that melds into the pale white horizon seamlessly. We had a gorgeous red and orange sunrise over the lake this morning.
Feb 18: The middle of February and it was 53 degrees here in Croftville next to Lake Superior. With weather like this, I doubt there will be any ice in our area on Lake Superior this winter. The sun and the warmth felt like a late April or May day. In spite of the clear skies, Lake Superior was almost black except where the sun was reflecting off the lake in blinding white and silver light. We had only 1-2ft waves from the south in spite of the hard gusts of wind.
Feb 17: It got up to 43 today in Croftville. That sounds like that might be one of the lowest temps in the state today with southern Minnesota in the 60's and the Iron Range in the 50's. Either way, it felt nice to have the warm sun on your face. Last night the moon backlit the cloud cover making the sky almost look like a batik.
Feb 16: It was cloudy today with temps in the teens to upper 20's. Lake Superior was a light gray with small waves from the south.
Feb 15: It was cold today. We had a low of 14 overnight and a high of 24 although it didn't feel that warm. The wind made things worse and the humidity in the air made it feel colder yet. Lake Superior had 3-4ft waves from the SSE.
Feb 14: The winds were back today, there were just horrendous gusts just like 2 days ago. We had sun at times, but we also had some beautiful cloudbanks over the lake. Temps got up to 37 today. Lake Superior had 2ft waves from the south. For awhile, the waves were black and blue except opposite the sun where the reflactions were blinding white and silver.
Feb 13: The winds subsided, there was lots of sun, and it was warm today getting up to 41 degrees after a morning low of 21. Lake Superior had 2ft bright blue waves from the south.
Feb 12: What a windy Sundy. The gusts could knock us off our feet at times. It was a mostly clear day with lots of sun. We had a high of 35 and a low of 20. Lake Superior had 4-6ft blue green waves with whitecaps.
Feb 11: We ended up yesterday with about 6" of snow and the winds creating some of the biggest drifts I have seen along the north shore (still small potatoes compared to SE Minnesota). Today my arms and back are aching from the shoveling. It is still a white overcast but we did have sun just briefly around sunrise. Unfortunatley, we were inable to see the eclipse of the full moon last night. Lake Superior is realtively calm with small black and gray waves from the south.
Feb 10: We are in the middle of a snowstorm. Temperatures rose during the night from 15 to 23 and the snow and wind began sometime during the night. Lake Superior has 4-5ft gray waves from the south with large whitcaps. There is limited visibility maybe only 200 yards or so out on the lake. The winds are making drifts and forcing the falling snow almost horizontal. If is was in southern Minnesota I might call this a blizzard.
Feb 9: It is cold this morning, 6 below at 7am right next to the lake. This low a temp next to the lake when the lake is not frozen is quite rare. That big body of water at 32 degrees make it very difficult to get these frigid temps along the lake when it may be in the 20 below or colder up on the trail. Looks like clear skies overhead but there is the massive dark cloud forming over Lake Superior from the steam rising off the water. We have 2ft grayish waves from the SSW splashing on the shore and creating ice covered rocks.
Feb 8: After a high of 18 yesterday, it cooled down to 3 last night here along the lake. It is way below zero up on the trail. We got another 2" of snow last night but today we have clear blue skies. Looking at northern Wisconsin and the UP there is a dark cloud mass thaty looks like snow down that way. Lake Superior is blue with a textured surface. The small waves are too small to discern their direction.
Feb 7: There is light snow falling this morning. So far we have had about 2". The hard icy snow resulting from the long January thaw is now blanketed with 12" of fresh light snow over the past few days. Overnight the low was 9 degrees but it is already up to 15 at 8am. Lake Superior is a greenish gray with 1ft waves from the SE. The skies are a blue gray overcast and much darker than you would expect for the morning. Perhaps that is an indication of morem snow on the way?
Feb 6: There was snow overnight and this morning. We had about 4" of fresh fluffy snow here by Lake Superior. Skies are white overcast and we had a high of 25. The big lake is mostly calm with a gray textured surface.
Feb 5: We started at 11 degrees this morning and ended at 25 this afternoon. The winds from last night drifted the fresh snow requiring us to shovel all over again. Skies are partly cloudy with plenty of sun coming out this afternoon. Lake Superior has 3-4ft waves with whitecaps against a deep vlue surface.
Feb 4: The snow started about 8am and 5-6 inches fell before it ended in the afternoon. It is fluffy snow but the wind is blowing it around creating drifts in some areas which means plenty of shoveling. Lake Superior has poor visibility but there are 3-4ft greenish gray waves from the SSW.
Feb 3: It was cold and sunny. We had a low of 1 below and a high of 24. Lake Superior had bright blue 2-4ft waves from the SSW. The sun was so bright reflecting off the snow that it was almost blinding.
Feb 2: It cooled down yesterday afternoon ending up with a low this morning of 1 below. We have a strong wind and clear blue skies except for the white cloud mass forming over the lake with the cold temps. There are 2ft waves from the south on a blackish blue lake with silver highlights on Lake Superior.
Feb 1: It was cold this morning with a low of 9 but it has warmed up to 17 at noon. There are clear skies overhead and a bank of white clouds on the lake horizon. Lake Superior is a deep blue with dark olive shadows and white highlights when the sun reflects off the 2ft waves from the south.
January 2017
Jan 31: It warmed up through the night after depositing 3 inches of fresh light snow. We have 28 degrees this morning with white overcast skies. Lake Superior is gray and calm with cloudy skies over it and a blue horizon line. The fresh snow has now covered up the bare roads and the hard crusty snowcover after the thaw from last week.
Jan 30: There was a low last night of 12 and we have quickly jumped into the 20's by noon. Light snow is on the way, you can feel it in the air even without looking at the radar. Skies are a light gray overcast with a brisk wind from the south off the lake. The big lake is blue green with dark olive shadows and 2-3ft waves from the south.
Jan 29: We had sun and crisp weahter today. The morning started around 15, warmed up to about 20 before dropping off again this evening. Currently it is 13. Superior was a brilliant blue with small waves and silver highlights. We had just a dusting of snow this morning.
Jan 28: We picked up our son at Saint Olaf last night. It was amazing to see the the snow cover is gone from Duluth to the northern suburbs. The southern suburbs and south did have a small fresh snow cover but before the snow earlier this week the snow cover had vanished. It is interesting to compare that with Cook County where in spite of the lengthy thaw that left the southern two thirds of the state without snow, Cook County still has a decent albeit hard snow cover along Lake Superior and really good trail conditions inland and up the Gunflint.
Jan 27: This morning we woke up to 24 degrees. As we traveled to Duluth temps approached 30. It is nice to have some sun with the partly cloudy skies. Lake Superior is a dark blue with silver shadows when the sun is out. Only modest 1-2ft waves on the lake.
Jan 26: The thaw feels like it is coming to an end tonight with our low for the day so far at 30 degrees after a high this afternoon of 37. There was a little sun today and it felt so good to be outside. Lake Superior was a brilliant blue with small waves from the SE and a textured surface.
Jan 25: Today we had a low of 30 and a high of 41. The wind was gusting from the west. Lake Superior was a grayish blue and skies were generally a dark overcast. They were predicting the snow falling in southern Minnesota was going to make it to us. It never did, but it could explain the dark skies to the south. Last night we finally got below freezing by Lake Superior for the first time in over a week. What a crazy streak of warm weather.
Jan 24: And the remarkable but now disappointing thaw continues with a low this morning of 34 and a high of 42. Down by the lake much of our beautiful snow base we had a week ago is now slush that will turn to near ice when temps return to normal. Talking to guests most of the snow in southern Minnesota is now gone and they will have to start over for their winter sports. Luckiy, up the trail conditions are still good here.
Jan 23: We had a high this afternoon of 39 and a low of 34 this morning. Lake Superior had 1ft waves again from the SE. It was different out today. The overcast skies broke into partly cloudy skies with small bouts of sun and then rain later this afternoon. It finally feels like the weather may be changing and the end to our January thaw may not be far away.
Jan 22: We had a high yesterday of 38 and a low of 35 this morning. Right now it is 37 with lightly overcast blue gray skies. Our January thaw continues today as our snow cover by the lake becomes wetter and wetter. The lake horizon is crsip with a faint white cloudbank just over it. Lake Superior is a dark blue gray with small 1ft waves from the SE.
Jan 21: The sky is gray. The temperature is 36 this morning. Lake Superior is gray and the 1-2ft waves have shifted to the SE for the first time in over a week. The January thaw is expected to continue today.
Jan 20: It's hard to believe, but we had a high of 41 today next to the lake. It only got to 32 last night. There was no sun with dark gray overcast skies. Right around dusk it finally started to lightly rain. Lake Superior was calm and gray.
Jan 19: It is a gray overcast day in the 30's. Gitche Gumi has 1-2ft green waves with navy shadows from the SSW. The horizon disappears into the haze over the lake.
Jan 18: Lake Superior has 3-4ft waves with whitecaps from the south this morning. They are a deep blue with black shadows. Skies are becoming an overcast white and our January thaw continues with a high of 39 and a low of 28. We can see some bare pavement in places on the Croftville Road for the first time since before Christmas.
Jan 17: We woke up to an almost calm light blue Lake Superior against a hazy white horizon but with bright blue skies overhead. Temps were already in the 20's and the high should be in the 30's as we see our first thaw since Christmas.
Jan 16: Wow, a high of 38 down by the lake today after a morning low of 13. It felt good to feel the sun against your skin. Lake Superior was a light blue and relatively calm with a textured surface. The Soo Locks are now officially closed and the last of the ore freighters have harbored in Duluth or got off Lake Superior for the next couple months. We will miss seeing the freighters pass by.
Jan 15: We had a morning low of 9 and warmed up to 32 this afternoon. Lake Superior this morning was a pure deep blue with silver highlights against a crisp white horizon line with a faint white cloudbank all along the lake horizon. The lake itself was realtively calm with a textured surface.
Jan 14: A cloud bank showed up overnight and hid our full moon from view. I think the cloudbank helped to warm things up overnight and temps continued to rise today with a high of 28. For the most part we had overcast white skies and 2-3ft dark roller waves from the south.
Jan 13: It is 12 below this morning but is expected to warm all the way into the teens today. The big lake is calm compared to yesterday. It has only 1-2ft roller waves from the south that are gently breaking on the shore. The lake's surface is textured with black shadows and grayish blue highlights. There is an enormous black cloud mass over the lake from the steam rising off the surface and the sun is yet to rise above this black cloud into the clear skies above. There will be a full moon tonight but it felt more than full already last night as the clear skies and the moonlight reflecting off the water and the snow made it feel like daytime outside.
Jan 12: We had a morning low of 6 below next to the lake and a high of only 5 above today. The wind off the lake was relentless with gusts that could knock you off your feet. That wind churned up 6-7ft waves wiht huge whitecaps that crashed into the shore with a deafening din. The waves were from the SSW and near the shore they were a transluscent blue green. Gitche Gumi almost seemed human showing off the power it could yield.
Jan 11: It was a strange day temperature wise. We started the morning with our high in the teens and then temps steadily dropped. It was 5 below by dusk. Lake Superior had large 3-4ft waves from the south and a powerful wind that made it feel much colder than it was. However, the clear blue skies and sun was really pleasant.
Jan 10: It rained briefly late last night and covered our cars with ice. By morning it was snowing and snowed all day long. So we have, all told, about 5 new inches of snow. Our high was 32 some time during the night and our low is right now at dusk at 25. Lake Superior has a purplish blue surface with 3-4ft rollers from the SSE. Jan 9: The lake roared last night and once when I woke up there was an ore freighter passing by less than a mile from shore. By morning the dark blue waves had calmed down to 3ft from the south. We also had about an inch of snow last night and perhap another inch has fallen so far today. The pale blue overcast sky is beautiful and the snow is picturesque.
Jan 8: It was another cold day starting the day a little below zero and working its way up to about 10 above. However, the big story of the day is the wind and the brutal windchills if you had to head into the wind. The Lake Superior waves from the SSW kept building all day with 5-6ft waves with impressive whitecaps by the day's end. Ore freighters contnue to pass by even though partially obscured by the steam rising off the lake into the frigid air.
Jan 7: We had a low of 4 below and a high of 9 today. Lake Superior still had the steam climbing into the large cloud mass over the lake while we had clear blue skies overhead.
Jan 6: It was another cold day with a low of 11 below here next to the lake, plenty of wind, and a high of only 5. A good day to stay inside.
Jan 5: The bitter cold continues with a low of 7 below last night and a high today of 5 above. The winds made it not fit outside for man nor beast. The clear skies overhead remained as did the steam rising into the cloud mass over the lake. Lake Superior had short 1-2ft waves again from the SSW.
Jan 4: We had a low of 2 below and a high of 5 here next to Lake Superior. We had clear skies overhead and the familiar steam rising in curliques off the lake into a large cloud hovering over the surface. We had 1ft short and choppy blue and black waves from the SSW. The ore freighters passing by were partially obscured in the steam giving a ghostlike appearance.
Jan 3: Weather turned sour yesterday as soon as we left Grand Marais. Visibility was bad with the falling, blowing, and drifting snow all the way to Duluth. After Duluth travel was on mostly dry pavement but then it turned to rain in Minneapolis which eventuall turned to freezing rain later last night. Today the pavement was pretty good traveling back to Croftville, but the wind was so strong I had to reduce my speed to 60 to keep our van on the interstate. So nice to be back in Grand Marais and as I go to bed the temps is 15 degrees. However, a cold front has been following me all the way from Minneapolis and they are predicting much colder temps for us tonight.
Jan 2: Woke up without the predeicted snow. Lake Superior had ore freighters passing by during the night. This morning we have 3ft bluish gray rollers from the SSW. I am traveling to southern Minnesota today and expect to run into the storm that has not yet made it to Grand Marais. The low this morning was 10.
Jan 1: Happy 2017. The year begins with gray overcast skies and the chance of more snow looming with a winter storm warning. Light snow fell most of the afternoon and one of our guests opted to leave tonight while the roads are still good rather than leaving in the morning. Temps are in the teens and 20's. Lake Superior has 3-4ft gray rollers from the south.