Four Season Cottages and Vacation Suites
On the Shore of Lake Superior
Grand Marais, Minnesota
December 2021
Dec 31: We got 4" of snow dropped straight down on us late yesterday afternoon and into the evening. It was realtively light work for shoveling this morning after all the difficult snow removal tasks of this past week. The year ends with a morning low of 10 degrees after a high yesterday of 25. We have 1-2ft blue waves from the SSW with blinding reflections off their crests. The sky above the horizon is a dark navy blue suggesting some snow in the UP. Skies over the lake are mostly cloudy with white and gray cloudbanks but still plenty of sun. Skies overhead are blue with a little gray haze in places. Temps are not warming up much and we are only at 12 degrees at noon inspite of the sunshine.
Dec 30: It was a cold morning with a low of 3 and it is now 16 degrees at noon with snow flurries. There is a white overcast sky with a white sky above the horizon and a dark blue band of clouds over Lake Superior. The big lake is a grayish blue with 1ft waves from the oblique angle of the SSW coming to the shore. The air is still.
Dec 29: The snow started falling last night about 6pm and was done by daybreak with 3-5 new inches of fresh snow blown around. It was so fun to wake up to blue skies and a blue lake but that fun was tarnished by another day of shoveling. Our high for today was 31 degrees at midnight in the middle of the snowstorm. Our low was this morning at 11 degrees when temperautres plummeted when the snow ended. Lake Superior is a deep blue with olive shadows and 2ft waves from the SSW.
Dec 28: After a high of 33 yesterday and 6-7 inches of wet snow that stuck to all surfaces, we had an overnight low of 21. Skies are a grayish white overcast and more snow is expected today. Gone are the powerful winds and Gitche Gumee has calmed down to 1-2ft grayish green waves from the south. There is a dark cloudbank above the horizon, perhaps it is the next snow on its way. Lots of shoveling today before the next snow arrives.
Dec 27: Although we had powerful winds from the east and large waves out on Superior overnight, the new snow didn't being coming down until 6am. Our low for today was 15 at midnight and has been rising ever since. We are currently at 31 degrees at noon with wet and stocky snow coming down. We do have swirling winds which deposits snow on our covered porches and is creating some drifting and bare spots. Visibility on the lake is about 50 yards but that is enough to appreciate the 4-5ft grayish green waves poinding the shore from the SE. Snowplows are out and we can hear them up on Highway 61 passing by.
Dec 26: It is a gorgeous lake today with 2ft blue waves with navy shadows and a few whitecaps from the SE. The skies over the land are blue but with a little haze. The sky over the lake is blue with a few higher clouds. The sky over the horizon is a dark navy cloudbank. We are supposed to have a winter storm arriving during the night tonight, perhaps those dark clouds are a precursor to the storm moving our way. At 1pm the temperature is 20 dgrees after a morning low of 8. The sun feels so good on our faces.
Dec 25: It was 11 overnight and stayed cold today with a high of 18. Skies were mostly cloudy with just a small amount of sun. Lake Superior was a dull blue with 2ft waves.
Dec 24: It was 28 for the morning low and climbed to 40 today. The fresh snow become moist with these warm temperatures and it was perfect for building snowmen. Lake Superior had 3-4ft blue gray waves with navy shadows from the SE.
Dec 23: Temps began to warm up overnight and we were in the teens by morning. Our high today was 29 and we got about 2-3" of fresh snow today. There was no wind or blowing snow but once the snow ended we now have a breeze coming off Lake Superior. Skies were a white overcast with visibility limited to about a half mile. Having just passed the winter solstice, it is remarkable just how late the sun rises and how early it sets. It is pitch dark right now at 4:30pm. Lake Superior has dark waves of 2-3ft with some whitecaps from the SE.
Dec 22: We ended up with about 6-7" of snow down here by the lake on Croftville Road. That is much more than expected when it finished around 1pm. Today is a shoveling out day after a very cold and windy evening. Our low this morning was 1 below after a high of 23 yesterday. In spite of the cold, the wind has ceased and the air is dry so it does not feel bad working outside this morning. Skies are a white overcast this morning but the moon was really bright during the night and the moon shadows were stark and spectacular. Lake Superior is a grayish black with 1ft waves from the south. The sky above the horizon is a dark navy blue.
Dec 21: Snow began to fall around 5am this morning. At 10am we have about 2" on the ground and it has now began to come down heavy. The air is still and the snow is dropping evenly on the ground like a blanket. Visibility on the lake is limited to a half mile. There are 1-2ft gray waves with greenish shadows coming straight into shore from the SSE. It dropped down to 6 degrees last night before beginning to warm for the snow. Right now we have 16 degrees.
Dec 20: We got about 2" of fresh snow last night and during the early morning hours. With it was an impressive wind that continued through today after the snow had ended. 28 was our high today after an overnight low of 16. With the wind and the high humidity it felt much colder than that outside. Skies were overcast today and the Lake Superior was gray with 2-3ft waves.
Dec 19: It is a gray overcast day with a lot of humidity. Right now it is 25 but it feels colder. Lake Superior has 2-3ft grayish blue waves with green shadows from the south. The morning low was 9. It looks and fells like snow but they are not predicting any.
Dec 18: We got a dusting of snow last night. Our overnight low was 13 late last night and has been warming slowly during the early morning hours. It is 19 degrees this morning. The Big Lake is calm with 6" to 1ft silver gray waves from the SE. The skies are cloudy except over the horizon were they are a dark navy overcast. There must be poor weather over in the UP and northern Wisconsin.
Dec 17: We had an overnight low of 11 and we are at 19 this afternoon with plenty of sun and blue skies. Lake Superior is a bluish gray with dark gray shadows with 1-2ft waves from the SSE. The skies turn to partly cloudy over Superior and are a dark gray overcast above the horizon.
Dec 16: After a high yesterday of 46 here in Croftville we only dropped to 41 by this morning when I got up. Temps are now dropping steadily and we are currently at 33 degrees at 10am here along the big lake. A heavy rain and winds started last night around 9pm. The winds led to a couple power outages during the night and all our garbage bins tossed about this morning. My daughter was on the verge of tears as we watched the rain destroy our snow base for cross country skiing. With this rain, 2" and less of base is left up at the Pincushion Ski Trails. She must now wait again for snow and go back to dryland training for her cross sountry ski team. This morning we have 3-4ft blusih gray waves with green shadows breaking to the shore from the south. Overhead we have gray overcast skies and a light mist coming down.
Dec 15: Our low overnight was well above freezing at 36 degrees. We are watching our snow along the shore disappearing. This morning skies are a heavy gray overcast which might help to keep our high temperature in the upper 30's or low 40's today and minimize the loss of snow. Gitche Gumee is booming this morning with 2-3ft gray waves with bluish green shadows breaking at the shore from the SE. The lake disappears into the fog about 400 yards from shore. It doesn't feel like snow but there is a mist coming down at times.
Dec 14: We had a low of 29 this morning. The skies became overcast last night losing our view of the stars with the cloud cover continuing through today. At 1pm we have a gray lake with 2-4ft waves from the SE crashing the shore. The waves have a transluscent green quality about then as they break near the shore. The horizon is a faint blue and there are cracks in the cloud cover over the big lake letting just a little sunlight through.
Dec 13: It was above freezing for our low this morning. By the time we left for Duluth at 7:30am it was already 36 dergees here in Croftville. Our afternoon high was an amaizing 43 degrees. It is December, isn't it? We watch with regret as we see our newly formed base from 2 significant snow falls become icy and diminished on the Pincusion ski trail system. Lake Superior had 2-4ft blue waves today. Even when we returned from Duluth at 8pm the temperature was still 32 degrees down here along the lake.
Dec 12: Wow. 40 degrees yesterday with a low of only 26 last night. It will be another warm December day today. Lake Superior has deep blue 3ft waves from the south with almost transluscent green shadows as they break and crash into the rocks. The sky is blue except at the horizon where it is a crisp white against the lake. The sun is bright and is blinding where it reflects off the lake surface.
Dec 11: We had a high of 34 yesterday with a overnight low of 18. Today we have clear blue skies made even bluer by the stark white constrast of the new snow 2 days ago. Lake Superior is a deep blue with small waves from the SSE against a white horizon line. The sun has blinding reflections off the lake surface.
Dec 10: Lake Superior is a grayish blue with 2ft waves from the south this morning. The horizon over the lake is a dark navy suggesting snow in northern Wisconsin and the UP. Overhead we have some thin white overcast with the sun poking through. We ended up with 5" of fresh snow yesterday when the snow finally ended around 4pm. Today is a shoveling day. After a high of 31 yesterday we dropped to 18 overnight.
Dec 9: We woke up to light snow this morning that turned pretty heavy by 9am. The snow is to end about 2pm but we already have 4 or more inches of fresh snow down here by the lake by noon. Skies are a light gray and looks like a snow sky. Lake Superior has monsterous 3-5ft grayish green waves that disappear into the overcast from the SSE. Roads are now snow covered but the traction of the snow is better than the ice that was left on the pavement a few days ago from the blizzard. I guess traveling to Ely yesterday to pick up a canoe turned out to be a wise choice. Temps warmed up into the upper teens overnight and was in the 20's by the time the snow started coming down. Currently it is 31 degrees at noon with moderate snow.
Dec 8: It is a bit warmer today with 12 degrees at 8am after a morning dip down to 5 degrees. The air is still. Lake Superior has 1-2ft steel gray roller waves from the south with silver highlights. The horizon is light gray and the skies are mostly cloudy with thin clouds being backlit by the morning sun. I got on cross country skis for the first time this seasonm yesterday briefly. I am finding out this morning that you exercise different muscles sets than you do when walking.
Dec 7: The stars were bright and twinkling last night in the severely cold skies. At 3 below this morning this is our first below zero day of the season along the lake. Lake Superior was a freeway of ore freighters and salties yesterday, I lost count at 7. The one I remember the most was an older freighter with the control house in the front. It was only a mile out from the shore (usually they are 3 or more miles from shore) so we could see many details. This morning skies are a gray overcast except over Lake Superior. There we have the large dark cloud mass from the rising steam of the lake that occurs in below zero temperatures. Lake Superior has 2ft grayish blue waves from south with little steam curlicues rising off the surface.
Dec 6: The snow ended during the night but the winds stayed in force or may have even picked up a little today. I heard they got up to 18" inland on the Gunflint. Here along the shore it is hard to tell because of the drifting but 7 to 9" seems to be about right. I did a little shoveling last night just to check conditions. At that time is was 32 degrees and the snow was wet. By morning the temps had dropped into the teens and the wind gusts had dried out the snow. Snow is stuck to every surface with the swirling wind gusts able to find every nook and cranny. Shoveling and watching no fewer than 5 ships pass by is how we occupy our time today. Skies are blue. Gitche Gumee had 3-5ft waves this morning and have tapered down to 2-3ft blue waves with navy shadows in the afternoon. Temps continue to drop and is currently at 7 degrees at 3pm.
Dec 5: The winds were strong through the night and are strong today. The waves are 3-5ft this morning and a grayish green in color from the SE. Skies are a light gray overcast and snow began to fall just now at 10:30am well behind the prediction. They are predicting heavy snow today which will be good for all us cross country skiers but not so good for my back shoveling out when this is all done. Our low was 19 overnight but is back up to 28 when the snow began.
Dec 4: The wind and waves really picked up overnight. Croftville has 3-4ft waves from the SE this morning. Normally, wind gusts off the hill tend to subdue the waves on Lake Superior near the shore. However, today the strong wind gusts were not coming off the hill and we could watch the waves travel toward the shore while at the same time watch the gusts of wind move across the waves. It was unusual and beautiful. We topped out at 42 yesterday afternoon before temps began their decline to 22 this morning. I awoke to a dark cloud bank across the lake, the morning sun shining on the water, and overcast skies above us.
Dec 3: Our low this morning is 27 and we have light very fluffy snow coming down indicative of lake effect snow. It is just a dusting so far. The air is still in Croftville. The skies are a white overcast that we would expect with snow. Lake Superior has 1-2ft gray waves from the SE with olive green shadows.
Dec 2: Today was the opposite of yesterday. We started the mornign with an overnight high of 42 and then watched the temperature drop slowly and steadily to a low of 29 this evening. Skies were mostly overcast with sun coming out at times. The air was still and Lake Superior had 1ft gray waves brushing against the shore. Teresa watched 2 ore freighters pass by Croftville.
Dec 1: It was overcast with a light sleet and drizzle pretty much all day today. Our low was 25 during the night and the tempreature has been rising all day. Our current high is 40 degrees right now at 9pm. The waves were loud all day with 2-3ft waves from the SSE crashing the rocks.
November 2021
Nov 30: Teresa saw a freighter pass by really close this morning before I got up. Our low was 29 and we have already passed yesterday's high of 32 with 34 at 8am. Gitche Gumee is gray with 1-2ft waves from the south today. Skies over the lake are mostly cloudy and skies over the land are mostly blue. The clouds are gray cumulus and are low hanging. They look like snow just like yesterday late afternoon and evening when we got about a half inch accumulation.
Nov 29: Lake Superior is a monochrome gray with small to 1ft waves from the SE this morning. The sky is covered with heavy gray low hanging clouds with hints of blue around their edges. The low this morning was 24 after a high yesterday of 32. Although we did not recieve much snow on Saturday, it has stayed. Just enough to need to shovel the steps and sidewalks. It is strange to see Croftvlle Road now snow covered.
Nov 28: I watched the strong wind gusts move across the water this morning when I woke up. It never ceases to surprise me that I can actually watch the gusts move across the surface of the water. Our low was 28 this morning after a high of 35 yesterday. We have 1-2ft gray waves coming in straight from the SSE. The skies are overcast and the heavy dark gray clouds over the lake look like possible snow.
Nov 27: Temps rose overnight getting into the upper 20's by morning. Those rising temperatures also brought with them moisture and our first snow that actually accumulated this morning. We only have about an inch of accumulation down here in Croftville but the snow plow drivers were just chomping at the bit and have already passed by twice. Snow flurries continue. The skies have the look of snow with the hazy white overcast. Gitche Gumee has 2-3ft gray waves coming straight in from the SSE. There is a thin band of dark navy water at the horizon with dark cloud fronts far over the lake.
Nov 26: We sometimes forget just how quickly the weather can turn from fall to winter. Our morning low of 9 degrees this morning just one day after Thanksgiving and only getting into the teens this afternoon is a reminder of that. Lake Superior was a bluish gray and bleak looking. Skies are overcast. Working outside without gloves is just not possible. And the ore freighters now pass by Croftville no longer taking the more southernly route across Lake Superior.
Nov 25: It was a warm gusty day yesterday in Croftville with a high of 44 but all that changed overnight with a low of 11, the coldest temperature of the season. Gitche Gumi is blue with small waves from the SE. There is a band of clouds across the lake at the horizon. The rest of the skies are blue with just faint wisps of high clouds. Teresa watched two ore freighters pass by this morning. One was almost the length of 4 football fields.
Nov 24: Temperatures rose overnight and are 37 degrees this morning. There was frost on all the rooves this morning. The air is still. Lake Superior is a monotone gray except where the morning sun is reflecting off the surface. There are 1-2ft waves from the SSE. The skies are hazy but lightly enought to allow the sun to make shadows.
Nov 23: It was 16 degrees again this morning but it warming up quickly with 23 degrees at 8am. We had a beautiful orange sunrise this morning out over the lake. Lake Superior is a metallic gray this morning with 1ft waves from the south. Skies are a gray overcast except along the lake horizon where the sun is backlighting the horizon with orange light. Cloud cover lets a little white light through and almost looks like a kaleidoscope.
Nov 22: It was the coldest morning of the season with 16 degrees. The high was an also cold 28 degrees which just a few weeks ago would have been our coldest morning of the season. Skies were partly cloudy. There was a wind but not the gales like we had yesterday. The sun was blinding when it poked through the clouds and reflected off the lake. Lake Superior had grayish silver waves.
Nov 21: We woke up and it was warm and 47 this morning in Prior Lake. Our walk was quite comfortable except for a few strong gusts of wind which were chilling. By the time we were leaving the twin cities the gusts were strong winds and frequent. The temperature had dropped into the low 40's and the car was being pushed around on the highways. By Duluth were were in the low 30's. By the time we left Duluth after a little shopping we were in the mid 20's still with the strong gusts. Lake Superior had large waves with dark cumulus clouds dotting the late afternoon skies. We saw many ore freighters on our trip up the North Shore. We are now at the day's low of 23 as we enter Grand Marais.
Nov 20: Today we spent in Stewartville. Temps were in the upper 40's and we enjoyed getting outside and walking around. Tomorrow it is back to Lake Superior.
Nov 19: It was a cold dark day in southern Minnesota with temps staying in the 20s and 30s. It was fun to see the bleak fields now barren of any crops and watch the wind gusts blow across the open fields the way we watch gusts of wind blow across Lake Superior.
Nov 18: We traveled to southern Minnesota today to visit our mothers. It was cold and got colder as we traveled south. There was snow, sleet, 31 degrees, and wet pavement near Hinckley but the rest of the trip was dry pavement.
Nov 17: We have mostly cloudy skies today over us and the lake. The clouds are heavy, low hanging, and gray with a thin band of white around their perimeter. They look like snow clouds but it is too warm today for snow with 41 degrees at 11am and a morning low of 33. Lake Superior has a thin white blinding band near the horizon. It must be a break in the clouds near the UP and northern Wisconsin. The rest of the lake has 2-4ft black gray waves from the south pounding into the shore. The wind is strong and whistling through our double hung windows.
Nov 16: We woke up to 5ft waves and whitecaps from the SE this morning with strong winds from the west. It had warmed up overnight and there was a light rain coming down with 35 degrees. Skies are cloudy with only a few breaks in the cloud cover out over the lake. The lake calmed down a little after sunrise with 3-4ft waves in the late morning. Our high for the day was at dark with 39 degrees and sleet coming down.
Nov 15: It was 28 again this morning. It is a light gray overcast day in Croftville this morning. The gray Lake Superior with a bluish tint has only ripples from the SE. There is a break in the overcast skies across the lake and it is letting some slightly indirect sunlight reflect off the lake surface. The air is almost still but you can see the taller trees swaying at their tops.
Nov 14: It was an even colder day today with a low of 28 this morning and a high of only 33. There was some sun at times today but most of the day was cloudy. There are dark deep blue skies over the UP, a sign of snow and poor weather. Lake Superior is bluish gray with small waves from the SSE.
Nov 13: It was a cold day with a cold breeze and overcast skies. Our low was 32 and our high made it to 41 but it didn't feel that warm. The fire in the fireplace was just what was ordered for today. Lake Superior was gray and we had one ore freighter pass by in the night and 2 more today quite close that I saw.
Nov 12: We had a low of 38 this morning after a high of 45 yesterday. The rain stopped briefly last night around 7pm and then started back up around 9pm. The rain turned to sleet at 3am before quitting finally around 5am. Much of Minnsota had snow but we were just to close to the relatively warm Lake Superior to get any snow. The sleet was all melted away this morning. Today we have gray overcast skies but they are an ominous dark navy blue across the lake. The strong winds of yesterday have subsided. Lake Superior is gray with 2ft waves from the SE with green shadows.
Nov 11: The rain started late last night about 11pm. It has been mostly a steady medium rain ever since and doesn't show any signs of stopping through today. Skies are a dark bluish gray overcast. There are strong winds. During the night they were mostly from the south but the gusts today seem to be coming from multiple directions. You could watch the gusts of wind lay sheets of rain on the highway. I think we must have got more than 2" of rain during the night. The 4-5 foot waves are thunderous as they pound the shore from the SE. The size of the waves churning up the lake bottom near the shore combined with the runoff already from the rain has created a brown 100yd band near the shore and a bluish band further out.
Nov 10: We have sun shining through the lightly overcast skies today. The big lake has 1ft gray waves from the SE. Where the sun is reflecting off the surface the lake is blinding white. Across the lake there are dark navy blue skies probably indicating the weather we can expect coming to us from the south. The air is mostly still with just a gentle breeze at times this morning.
Nov 9: It was 34 this morning and temps rose to 55 on this November day. They are predicting rain/snow tomorrow so today is the day to put away the outdooor lawn furniture. What a beautiful day with a blue Lake Superior with 2-4ft waves from the south in front of us as we prepared for the winter. Skies were partly cloudy with a little overcast at times.
Nov 8: I went for a hike up at Pincushion Mountain today. It was 54 degrees this afternoon down by the lake but it felt even warmer up on the hill. Skies were partly cloudy but with plenty of sun. Ususally when I am away from the lake I am too busy to stop and look at it from a higher up perspective. It was fun looking from the overlook at the blue gray surface. I studied the lake as I looked westward to the Sawtooth Mountains, to the east toward Isle Royale, and to the south to the Upper Peninsula.
Nov 7: Our morning low was 42 and our high today was 53. It clouded up this afternoon after morning sun and a beautiful orange sunrise. Lake Superior has 102ft blue and gray waves from the SE.
Nov 6: It was off to Duluth today at daybreak for shopping. The drive down the shore was beautiful watching the lake with 2-3ft steel blue waves against a partly cloudy blue sky. It is clear now that 99 percent of the leaves have dropped from the deciduous trees and bushes. It is fun looking far into the boreal borest. It was also opening day for deer hunting with rifles. There were lots of trucks and SUV's lining the sides of the roads. Our low this morning was a balmy 48 degrees and our high this afternoon in Croftville was 60. It was 68 degrees up on the hill in Duluth.
Nov 5: Lake Superior is steel gray today with 2-4ft waves from the south with green shadows close to the shore. Our high yesterday was 49. Today we are equal to that at 2pm and will likely break 50 later this afternoon. The low this morning was 35 degrees but it felt warmer than that at daylight. Skies are partly cloudy with patches of blue and heavy dark bottomed clouds.
Nov 4: Another day with a high of 42 yesterday. This morning it was 29 which is the coldest temp we have yet had along the lake this fall. There were snow flurries and frost this morning. Skies overhead are partly cloudy with blue sky and cottonballs dotting the sky. The lake has heavier cloud cover. Lake Superior is a steel gray with black shadows with 2ft waves from the south.
Nov 3: Again we had a high of 42 yesterday and a low of 31 this morning. Again we had snow yesterday with no accumulation. Lake Superior is gray with small waves from the south. There are low hanging dark clouds over the lake and a light gray overcast over the inland.
Nov 2: After a high of only 42 yesterday, we were at 31 degrees this morning with a heavy frost on cars and rooves. Yesterday we saw our first snow along the shore but with no accumulation. Skies are mostly cloudy with heavy gray bottomed clouds and patches of blue. The boreal forest is becoming bare of leaves clinging to the trees. It has the look and feel of late fall. Lake Superior has 1-2ft gray waves from the south.
Nov 1: There was frost on the roofs and the cars this morning but our low along the lake was still above freezing at 33. There are mostly cloudty skies today with patches of blue. The clouds over the lake are heavy with gray bottoms. The clouds over the land are white and higher in the sky with bigger patches of blue. The horizon sky across the lake is a dark navy blue. Lake Superor has 2ft gray roller waves from the south.
October 2021
Oct 31: Halloween started with 37 and never made it to 50 today. There were lots of dark almost black clouds passing through today but without any rain. The sun would poke through the clouds every once in a while. At times there were tremendous gust of wind. Lake Superior had 1-2ft deep blue waves from the south. We also saw our first freighter pass by for the late fall. I expect we will see much more freighter traffic taking the more northern route across Lake Superior as the weather becomes more tumultuous.
Oct 30: It was 40 degrees this morning after an amazing day with a high of 59 and sun yesterday. Today we have 1ft silver gray waves from the south. This is a band of dark navy blue above the lake horizon. There must be some dark weather in the UP. The rest of our skies are a light gray overcast with still air.
Oct 29: After a little rain late yesterday we woke to clear skies and sunrise this morning. Our low was 46 after a high of 53 yesterday. The air is still and the lake has small roller waves from the SE. Bands of clouds are passing over the lake but here in Croftville the skies are clear and blue overhead. The winds and light rain from yeserday stripped many of the trees of their fall colors yesterday.
Oct 28: After a high of 52 yesterday we only cooled down to 49 degrees overnight and it is still 49 degrees at 11am. Skies are a light gray overcast today. The boreal forest is now mostly gray and the dark green from the spruce, pine, and fir needles. There are still gold and orange leaves clinging to some trees that give us that extra splash of color. There is also the beautiful wheat color of the grasses and ferns in the underbrush. Lake Superior has a darker cloud band over it white clouds and skies at the horizon. The waves are 1-2ft coming straight in from the SSE. They are a purplish blue except close to the shore where there is a band of greenish blue.
Oct 27: We have a dark blue lake with a purplish tint and 2-4ft waves from the SSE against a white horizon line this morning. Close to shore the water takes on a transluscent green hue as it breaks on the rocks. Skies are mostly cloudy and some of those clouds are very dark. However, the sun does break through in places lighting up patches of water and forest. Our low this morning was 38 but that was near mignight and it has been warming ever since. Right now we have 46 degrees at 8am.
Oct 26: Our low was 38 this morning an the air is still here along the shore. Lake Superior has 2-3ft dark gray waves from the SE. The skies are mostly cloudy with heavy gray clouds. The rising sun has not broken through anywhere yet making the outside quite dark this morning. The boreal forest is beginning to have the gray look of later fall. It is one of my favorite times to be out in the woods because with fewer leaves and the ground cover drying up you can see far into the woods.
Oct 25: It was a strikingly beautiful fall day in Croftville. Lake Superior was steel blue with dark olive shadows and whitecaps with 2-4ft waves from the SE. There is a dark navy band of skies above the lake horizon. There were mostly blue skies elsewhere witha few isolated cumulus clouds with gray borders and white insdies. Our low was 38 and our high only rose to 48 briefly this afternoon.
Oct 24: Our low was 35 this morning. Skies are a hazy blue with plenty of sun. Lake Superior is a deep metallic blue with 2-4ft waves with green shadows and a whitecaps from the SE. There is a band of cumulus clouds on the horizon over the UP. The wind is brisk today but we still have golden leaves holding on to some of the trees.
Oct 23: Our low was 33 this morning and our high was 51. It was a cloudy day with bands of high clouds across the lake running west to east. Lake Superior was blue with 1-2ft waves from the SE. The sun poked out at times lighting up band on the big lake.
Oct 22: We could see rain falling out on the lake near and over the UP but we remained dry here in Croftville today. Our high was 51 after a low of 30 here along the lake. Lake Superior had 1ft waves from the SE.
Oct 21: The first frost of the season was on the grass, cars, and rooves this morning. Our low was 30 degrees and our high ended up at 50 after the cloud cover and overcast skeis cleared away. The afternoon was beautiful with blue skies with high stratus clouds. Lake Superior was blue with 1-2ft waves.
Oct 20: Our low was 46 after a high of 60 yesterday. The air is still this morning after steady winds from the west during the night. The winds dropped leaves onto the pavement as we drove which was a strange feeling driving with leaves dropping in front of you and paving the road. There are gray overcast and cloud covered skies today and gray 1ft waves from the SE.
Oct 19: We had a high of 60 yesterday and dropped to 44 early today. Lake Superior is a pale blue with 1ft waves coming in straight from the SSE. There are thin bands of clouds over the lake. The horizon disappears in a white haze. Overhead our skies are a light blue with a haze. The air is still.
Oct 18: We started at 42 this morning and have quickly warmed up to 55 by noon. There are deep blue skies overhead constrasting against the golden leaves shining in the sun. Lake Superior is almost a blackish blue with 1ft waves from the SE. The sky over the horizon is white against the crisp horizon line.
Oct 17: It was our coldest morning of the season here along the lake in Croftville at 41. This afternoon we had a high of 64 with the clear blue skies. Lake Superior was a brilliant blue with navy shadows and silver highlights with 2-3ft waves from the south. The horizon line across the lake was crisp and clear. The gold aspen leaves near the shore are so intense against the brilliant blue background of the big lake.
Oct 16: We had a morning low of 44 and a high of 59 today. Lake Superior had 2-3ft waves from the south against a partly cloudy sky with overcast skies at times.
Oct 15: A good portion of our leaves dropped over the last couple days. We can now see further into the boreal forest and vistas to the lake have opened up. Our low this morning was 48 with a steady breeze. Overhead we have cloudy skies. We can see some open sky across the lake and can see a narrow bright band of sun shining on the lake near the horizon. Lake Superior has 3ft steel gray waves with green shadows from the south. The waves crashing on the rocks make a loud continuous din outside.
Oct 14: It was a dark day on the North Shore even though we had no rain. Skies were dark all day and Superior was dark gray with 4-5ft waves from the SSE. Skies brightened briefly in the afternoon and all of a sudden I thought this is the late fall Lake Superior that I keep in my mind. The breaking waves on the rocks are thunderous. Our high for the day was 60 at midnight and our low for today is right now at 6pm with 53.
Oct 13: Gitche Gumi was silent last night with only ripples on the surface. By morning we had gray metallic 1-2ft waves with green shadows from the SE. There is a narrow band of dark blue just above the horizon. Skies over the lake are cloudy with bands of clouds. Overhead we have gray overcast skies. Our low this morning was 53 after a balmy high of 66 yesterday afternoon. There was a boat out on the lake with a light most of the night stayng in about the same spot. I couldn't see it anymore when I tried to get a better look at it this morning.
Oct 12: Lake Superior has 1ft silver waves from the ESE hitting the shore at an oblique angle. There are 2 narrow bands near the horizon with a white band beneath a navy band. Skies are cloudy and you can see the backprojection of the sunlight on the clouds. Our low was 55 and it is warm again this morning with a breeze from the NW.
Oct 11: What a remarkable lightning, thunder, and rainstorm last night. The rumble of the thunder was truly a constant roar much like the sound of a jet or heavy equipment passing close by but this went on for several hours. When it got dark we could see that the lightning was as constant as the thunder with no break in the lightning lighting up the clouds. My daughter looked up "constant thunder" and it said this is often accompanied by hail. Sure enough there were reports of large hail near Eagle Mountain. I have never experienced this before but my wife said she remember this just one other time in 1978 when the Zumbro River flooded Rochester during an amazing thunderstorm. This morning we have 56 degrees, a gentle breeze, and light gray overcast skies. Lake Superior has calmed down from the 4-5ft waves I could see during the lightning flashes. Lake Superior has 2-3ft silver waves with balck shadows from the south today. The overcast gets lighter near the horizon and the sun looks like it might break trhough over the lake.
Oct 10: Our morning low was 60 and our high both yesterday and today was 64. Today was rainy and overcast all day with rain always right on the brink. There is a good breeze, lots of humidity, and a blue gray lake with a hazy horizon. Waves are 2-3ft from the SE.
Oct 9: It was a warm October night with a low of only 60 degrees. The fog covers both the lake and the shore which limits visibility to a couple hundred yards and the tops of the trees. A breeze is rustling the colored leaves as some start to let loose and fall to the ground. Lake Superior is a monotone gray with 1ft waves from the SE. It would be interesting to see how far up the hill the fog extends. I wouldn't be surprised if it is clear and sunny up at Pincushion Mountain.
Oct 8: It was a mostly overcast and rainy day today. Skies were gray but temperatures were warm for October. Temperatures ranged from 56 to 67. Rain stopped long enough for guests to enjoy a fire outdoors this evening. Lake Superior was a uniform gray disappearing into low clouds and fog on and off today.
Oct 7: We start the day with 52 degrees and ligth gray overcast skies. The air is still and leaves are beginning to drop down on the Croftville Road. Lake Superior has 1ft silver gray waves from the SE. The lake surface disappears into a gray blanket of fog.
Oct 6: There was a little rain, a little sun, and mostly overcast skies today. Our low was 54, our high 64, and the air is still today. Colors are at peak and we are just starting to see leaves drop. I think the bands of maples have already dropped their leaves. Lake Superior has 1ft gray textured waves from the SE.
Oct 5: What a strange day. Our low this morning was 50 and we woke up to fog, mist, and gray overcast skies. Lake Superior was gray with 1-2ft waves from the SE. We traveled to Ely today for a cross country race. About 30 miles in from the shore the gray fog lifted and we had beautiful clear blue skies and sun. When we traveled back tonight we once again ran into heavy fog in the same spot with fog continuing all the way back to Grand Marais. With a high of 67 today, I suspect the fog lifted for awhile this afternoon in Grand Marais but I never got to see it.
Oct 4: After a high of 62 yesterday we dropped to 55 overnight. This morning we have still air and blue skies. Gitche Gumi has 1-2ft blue waves with silver highlights and navy shadows from the SE. There is lots of color hanging on the trees of the forest. I suspect all we need are some high winds and rain for a couple hours and we would then be past fall peak.
Oct 3: It was a remarkably static day yesterday with a low of 61 and a high of 61. The overcast skies kept everything constant. This morning we dropped only 2 degrees to 59. We had a light constant rain in the evening and all through the night. Skies are still a gray overcast this morning with just a breeze. Lake Superior has a gray surface with olive green shadows and 1ft waves from the SE. Even with the overcast skies the colors in the boreal forest are remarkable. I think we may be at peak here on Croftville Road.
Oct 2: Today started with sun and blue skies this morning and a warm 61 degrees from overnight. Lake Superior changed quickly as gray ovecast skies moved in during late morning. There are 1-2ft gray waves from the SE. It looks like temperatures today will be almost static. There is a gentle wind rustling the coloerd leaves in the trees. It still is a great day to be outside.
Oct 1: October begins with a low of 53 and a high of 67 today. Lake Superior just had rippled from the SE on a smooth blue surface. There was plenty of sun and blue skies. The colors of the boreal forest are amazing. It was a very comfortable day to be outside soaking up the fall warmth and enjoying the calm lake.
September 2021
Sep 30: It is a strikingly beautiful day in Croftville on the last day of September. The air is crisp with a morning low of 53 and we are in the mid 60's this afternoon. The sky is blue with just a little haze. The air is mostly still. Lake Superior is a pale blue with 1ft roller waves on a smooth surface from the SE. The boreal forest is an amazing mixture of greens, browns, reds, oranges, and golds.
Sep 29: Our low was 50 this morning and our high 66. We went over to Virginia early this morning before sunrise and went to Duluth for shopping afterwards. When we went down the hill from Duluth at 12 noon we were amaze to find Duluth and Lake Superior in a dense fog. By early afternoon the fog began to recede out to the lake but we could watch it moving over the lake all the way back to Grand Marais.
Sep 28: Our low this morning was 45 and our high was 64. We had mostly blue skies with some cloud cover. Lake Superior was a deep blue and the boreal forest although still mostly green now has significant signs of golds, oranges, reds, and browns as leaves color and ground cover dries and browns.
Sep 27: Clear and crisp blue skies surrond us today. Lake Superior had small 6" grayish blue waves from the SE rustling against the rocks. There is a dark navy narrow band of water near the horizon. The horizon has a faint band of cumulus clouds above it somewhere in northern Wisconsin.
Sep 26: We have another mostly overcast day. The bog lake is a monochrome grayish blue with 1-3ft waves from the SSE against a light but crisp horizon line. Our low this morning was 51 and it is not clear we will see 60 degrees today. There was light rain overnight making all the surfaces wet this morning.
Sep 25: It was a cold start this morning with strong winds and 44 degrees. We have warmed up to 61 degrees late this afternoon. Skies have been mostly cloudy with heavy dark cumulus clouds and a few patches of blue. Lake Superior has 2 to 3ft gray waves from the south pounding the rocks on the shore. Winds have beee brisk all day.
Sep 24: Today brings us overcast skies and still air. The low was 53 after a high of 65 yesterday. Gitche Gumi has 6" to 1ft light gray waves from the south on a highly testured surface. The bears were up to mischief along Croftville Road last night but we had our garbage bins bolted shut.
Sep 23: It is a drop dead gorgeous fall day here in Croftville. Our low was 46 after a high of 64 yesterday. Skies are clear blue. There is a gentle breeze in the air. Lake Superior has 1ft light blue roller waves on a rippled surface from the SSE. There is a fine line of clouds above the horizon in northern Wisconsin. It is a good day to be outside.
Sep 22: At 45 this morning this is the coolest morning of the fall yet after a high of 67 yesterday. The air is still and the sky is blue. The gold and red tint to the still predominantly green boreal forest down her on Croftville Road are beautiful. Lake Superior has just ripples on it pale blue smooth surface from the SE. There is a line of faint cumulus clouds over the lake horizon.
Sep 21: Our low this morning is 55 after a high of 71 yesterday. Skies are cloudy with small patches of blue. We have 1-2ft gray waves from the south. It is funny to see the skies and wind so calm this morning after the severe rain, lightning, and wind we had during the evening last night.
Sep 20: Lake Superior has 2-3ft gray waves with navy shadows from the south this morning. There is light cloud cover over the lake and a white haze overhead. It feels muggy which is unusual for this part of September. Overnight our low was only 62 which is quite warm for this time of year. Our high yesterday was at 6pm with 76 dgrees. Each day there are more hints of gold and red in the boreal forest but it looks like fall colors may be a bit more subdued this year.
Sep 19: Our low was 50 this morning and at 3pm we are at 71. Lake Superior has light cloud cover over it light blue 2ft waves from the SSE. The waves have darl olive green shadows close to shore and navy shadows further out. It feels muggy for a middle September day.
Sep 18: We are traveling to Duluth today for our monthly shopping trip. Skies are blue this morning overhead and there is a white haze over Lake Superior. There is a narrow dark navy band on the lake right below the horizon. The rest of the lake is a pale blue with small 1ft roller waves from the SSE. The almost full yellow moon over the lake last might was spetacular. Our low this morning was 46 after a high yesterday afternoon of 70.
Sep 17: The lightning lit up the sky most of the night. The accompaniying thunder was most drowned out by the crashing waves pushing even the large rocks around on the shore below our bedroom. The low this morning was 59 and by noon the dark stormy skies of the night have turned clear blue overhead and a hazy gray over the lake. The 4-5ft waves have become 2-3ft steel blue waves with aqua shadows from the south. The strong breeze feels good on your face.
Sep 16: It rained in the early hours of the morning. After getting up to dark gray skies it rained for a while this morning, too. Then in the late afternoon and evening it poured out. It rained so hard you needed to pull over for the lack of visibility. Our low this morning was 58 after a high yesterday of 68. But this afternoon it climbed to 73 before it started raining again.
Sep 15: It is the Ides of September already. How can time pass by so quickly? We had 49 this morning. Lake Superior is blue with pale blue highlights and navy shadows. There are 1-2ft waves from the south. Skies are a hazy blue with no clouds and plenty of sun. I can start to really notice red tones down here on Croftvillle Road.
Sep 14: We had rain during the night and we had some rain today as well. There are 1-2ft blue waves with blackish green shadows from the south. Skies are mixed as clouds and overcast pass by with bouts of sun in between. Our low this morning was 58 by the lake and our late afternoon high is 68.
Sep 13: Lake Superior was a steel blue with dark navy shadows with 1-2ft waves from the SE this morning. This particular blue is only seen in September and October and is perhaps my favorite color for the big lake. Our low this morning was 51 and our high this afternoon was 67.
Sep 12: There is some sunshine in the east with the rising sun but most of the sky is overcast or with low hanging dark clouds this morning. Lake Superior is a bluish gray with only ripples from the south after calming down throughout the night. There is a narrow dark navy band on the lake at the horizon. Our low this mornng was 54 after a high of 75 yesterday. The air is still and it feels like rain could be on the way.
Sep 11: Our high yesterday was 67 but it felt warmer than that in the sun and still air. Our low this morning was 57. Lake Superior is a deep blue with navy shadows. There are 1-2ft smooth roller waves from the SSW. The sky is blue with a couple isolated clouds over the lake. There is a crisp light blue horizon and a brisk breeze.
Sep 10: As we approach the middle of September we are ghetting ever increasing signs that summer has ended and fall is taking hold of the boreal forest. This morning it was 52 and yesterday our high was only 67. I am now wearing long pants and sleeves when working outside. The underbrush is quickly drying up and the leaves of the trees distinctively have gold and red tones in them know. The air is almost still today. There is blue overhead but with some haze. That haze over the lake is heavy. Lake Superior has a smooth light blue surface with only ripples from the SE. That surface seamlessly blends into the haze sitting over the lake.
Sep 9: Gitche Gumi has 1ft gray waves with silver highilights from the south today. There is a gentle breeze mostly from the west. There a patches of blue in the sky but most of the sky has banks of cirrus clouds and isolated cumulus clouds. Our low was 53 this morning after a high of 73 yesterday.
Sep 8: It is windy today. Strong winds from the NW are whipping tree tops and buffeting the lake. Skies are blue with large cumulus cotton balls dotting the sky as the wind moves them along. It was 58 this morning after a high of 70 yesterday with intermittent rain and dark skies in the afternoon. Lake Superior is gray with a highly textured surface. The stron winds are subduing the waves close to the Croftville shore.
Sep 7: Our high yesterday was 62. Temperatures overnight stayed static and our low overnight was 58. Lake Superior has a beautiful cumulus cloudbank far out over it. The lake is blue with navy shadows with 2ft waves coming in straight from the SSE. Overhead our skies are clear blue. There was a thunderstom that passed by through the night and lit up the sky. The rain came down only for a brief time and the storm moved off over the lake.
Sep 6: It was a chilly night last night after a high of only 68 yesterday and a low this morning of 51. It feels good to be back to the big lake and have the sounds of the water lull us to sleep. This morning we have clean clear blue skies overhead but a seires of cloudbanks over the lake. The cloudbank at the horizon is tall and impressive. Lake Superior is a pale gray with ripples from the south. The effects of the rain these past 2 weeks is now quite noticable with the grass greening up as our trees start to show the golds and reds of the autumn.
Sep 5: Today we had breakfast with my mom in Prior Lake, we went to a birthday party in the afternoon for my nephew in Faribault, and still managed to come home to Lake Superior and place my head on my pillow by 11pm. I always love the feeling of coming over Thompson Hill in Duluth and setting sites on Lake Superior after being away. I take a deep breath and I can here my body decompressing and telling me we are going home. It was 80 degrees in the twin cities today but it never even got to 70 here by the lake. As we approached Duluth from the south we could see clouds that supplied rain to the shore and as we drove up the shore we saw signes of that rain as we traveled back to Grand Marais.
Sep 4: We are in Shakopee today for the Rennaisance Festival driving down last night to stay at my mom's house. It is the first time I have been south of Moose Lake since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. It was fun to see corn fields, soybeans, cottonwoods, and oak trees. I had heard the Rennaisance Festval had moved to a new location but it was still in the same spot it was the last time I attended in 1986 and much of the grounds and even many of the performers looked familiar.
Sep 3: The big lake has 1-2ft gray waves from the SE this morning against a white horizon line and then with a dark cloud band above that over the lake. Skies overhead are gray and overcast. After a high of 66 yesterday we had a warm 61 degree low overnight.
Sep 2: It was a 73 high and gorgeous day yesterday. We had 52 this morning and have had overcast skies all day. There is no smell of smoke in the air but my eyes are watering and I am a bit congested which is probably the result of smoke in the slightly yellow sky. Lake Superior has 2-3ft gray waves with charcoal shadows from the SE. There is a cool breeze off the lake and we are currently 63 degrees at 1pm.
Sep 1: September begins with a morning low of 55 after August ended with a high yesterday of 73 here on Croftville Road. We have clear blue skies, a crisp white horizon line, and a breeze off the lake from the SE. Gitche Gumi has 1-2ft blue waves from the SE on a highly textured surface.
August 2021
Aug 31: It is a beautiful day on Croftville Road. There are clear blue skies as far as you can see. It is 64 and sunny with a light breeze at 10am. Our morning low was a comfortable 56 after an afternoon high of 74 yesterday. Lake Superior has 1-2ft blue waves with navy shadows and silver highlights from the SE.
Aug 30: With the blue skies and clouds yesterday afternoon we rose to 80 degrees while overnight we dropped to 60. Skies today are mostly cloudy with patches of blue between the heavy cumulus clouds. Lake Superior had an amazing sunrise before the sun rose behind a dark cloud bank over the lake. With the sun behind the cloudbank, the lake was almost black with 2-3ft waves from the south. We have a nice breeze genrally from the west.
Aug 29: Our high yesterday was 65 and our low this morning was only 64 with temperatures staying constant overnight. Rain began yesterday afternoon and camse down on and off until 10am this morning with some of the waves of rain pretty heavy. There was lots of lightning last night in the sky. Overall, we got about 2 inches of rain here in Croftville. At 1pm our temperature is 74, there are gusts of wind from the west, and we have blue skies and large cumulus clouds overhead. Lake Superior has 2-3ft dark platinum waves from the SSW.
Aug 28: Our high yesterday was only 62 and our low this morning was 60. The overcast skies and high moisture in the air kept the temperatures almost constant. We had a nice soaking rain yesterday afternoon and into the night. Not a great deal of accumulation but the rain felt so good. Lake Superior has 2-3ft long silver gray roller waves from the SE that bash into the rocks. There is a dark navy front on the horizon suggesting bad weather in northern Wisconsin. Right now it is 63 degrees and overcast at 10am.
Aug 27: We got a little rain yesterday afternoon and topped out at 66 degrees in Croftville. Overnight the heavily overcast skies kept our morning low at a relatively warm 60 degrees. Today the gray overcast skies continue and there is a feeling of rain in the air. There are strong winds from the SE. Lake Superior has a thin band of navy blue at the horizon with a cloud bank above it. The waves are 3-4ft from the SE. They are greenish near the shore and more of a purplish blue further out. Air quality is quite good today with no signs of smoke.
Aug 26: At noon we have a hazy white sky over a silver gray Lake Superior with just ripples on its surface. There is a narrow dark gray band against the white horizon line. The haze is light enough that the sun is making shadows. Our temperautre is 64 degrees after a morning low of 59. Our high yesterday was 77 and by late afternoon the smoke in the air was smelly, uncomfortable, and abrasive. Those conditions lasted well into the night. Today, conditions are much better although the haze is probable half from the smoke and half from the moisture in the air. We are crossing our fingers that this moisture turns to rain this afternoon.
Aug 25: There is a white haze over a silver gray Lake Superior this morning with 1-2ft waves on a textured surface from the SE. The white horizon is fuzzy. Overhead skies are a hazy blue with a slight yellowish tint. You can faintly smell smoke in the air. We only have a slight breeze and we are at 73 degrees at noon after a morning low of 60. Yesterday our high was only 70 degrees. Although much of Minnesota got considerable rain yesterday, all we could muster in Croftville was enough rain to wet the pavement.
Aug 24: Yesterday late afternoon we could see smoke starting to form a gray mass over Lake Superior. By twilight it was a large smokey band across the lake presumably with the smoke crossing Highway 61 down by Little Marais from the Greenwood Lake fire. Around the same time we could smell the smoke in the air and we reached a late high temperature of 78 around 7pm. The smoke stayed with us all night and this morning we have grayish white overcast skies and about 50 yards of visibility on Lake Superior. Lake Superior has just light gray ripples from the south on its smooth surface. Our low this morning was 59 and they are predicting a little rain this afternoon which might help clear up the smokey smell.
Aug 23: Lake Superior is a beautiful blue this morning with silver highlights and green shadows. There are 2-3ft waves from the SE against a crisp light blue horizon line. There is no smell of smoke today and the skies are clear blue with a gentle breeze. We had a small rainstorm last night but I slept right through it. A couple guests said the lightning lit up the sky and afterwards the stars and full moon wee out.
Aug 22: It was a good sleeping night with temperatures dropping down to 53. Winds have subsided over the night and Lake Superior is a pale blue with just 6" roller waves from the south on a smooth surface. The horizon cannot be seen as haze on the horizon blends into a white sky. Skies overhead are a clear brownish blue and the smell of smoke is very noticable this morning.
Aug 21: After a high of 82 yesterday we dropped to 69 this morning and topped out at 72 degrees this afternoon. But the big news was the rain and lightning in the early morning hours that cooled things off, ushered in high winds from the west, and churned up 3-4ft greenish blue waves from the south. There is a narrow blue band right below the horizon with a cloud bank above it. Overhead we have partly cloudy skies with cumulus clouds and a hazy brown tint to the blue sections of sky. They have just announced they have closed the entire BWCA to both overnight and day trips due to potential for fires and the fighting of existing fires. That has never happened in our 18 years of living on the North Shore.
Aug 20: Lake Superior is a hazy light blue with small 6" waves from the SSE this morning. I saw the commerical fishing boat setting nets around 4:30am this morning about a quarter mile out. I assume they are trying to beat the heat and sun of the day. The horizon line is indistinct in the white haze that mostly covers our sky. The low this morning was 65 and at 11am it is 71 but feels much hotter becuase of the humidity.
Aug 19: Our high was 82 today and our low overnight was a warm 65. The air was humid and we had fog over the lake that burned off in the afternoon. Skies remained hazy probably partly from the humidity and partly due to smoke from wildfires. The bears were doing mischief with the garbage again but with our lids bolted shut they got nothing for their efforts.
Aug 18: We drove over to Ely today to visit Teresa's sisters who were camping on Fall Lake. It was 94 in the shade with high humidity. Only the wind and the cool water at the beach kept us comfortable. Highway 1 was closed due to the Greenwood Lake fire. We had to take 16 across from Silver Bay and then circle up through Aurora and Tower adding about 70 miles to the trip. It is so dry and we noticed that most of the birch are already turning gold in mid-August. It is going to be an early fall. By the time we got back to Grand Marais the temperature was 71 after a high of 84.
Aug 17: Lake Superior is silver blue with 2ft waves from the SSE. Visibility is only about 50 yards as the lake disappears into the white wall of fog. Our low was 61 this morning and it is 66 at 11am. The air over the land has a brownish hue to the clear but hazy skies.
Aug 16: We began the day with a low of 63 and climbed to 79 degrees this afternoon. Lake Superior was blue this afternoon after the morning fog finally burned off.
Aug 15: With clear skies and a gentle wind, we have 2-3ft blue waves with dark olive shadows from the south on Lake Superior. The sunny skies are blue with a hint of brown. Our low was 58 after a high of 77 yesterday. We are at 72 degrees at 2pm today.
Aug 14: Lake Superior has just ripples on a smooth light blue surface this morning. There is a narrow navy band just below the white horizon. Skies overhead are blue and clear of any smoke. Our high yesterday was 78 and our low was 51 this morning. Currently we are at 59 degrees at 10am with a genle breeze moving the air.
Aug 13: Well the high winds of yesterday ushered in a cold front. After a high of 78 yesterday we dropped down to 53 this morning. It felt good to have a cold wind blow through the window and really need our blankets to keep warm in bed. This morning we have 1-2ft purplish blue waves from the south on Lake Superior with dark green shadows close to the shore. There is plenty of sun but with a mixture of white haze and some cloud cover. Last night the bears once again assaulted our garbage but this time our bins were protected with bolts and wing nuts that kept the lids closed. It didn't stop the bears from knocking the bins all over the place but they didn't get inside. With the dryness, the berries the bears depend on are just too small or nonexistent this August.
Aug 12: Today we have strong winds from the west. What change is weather this might bring is not yet clear. Our high yesterday was 83. Skies last night were partly cloudy giving us windows of opportunity to watch the meteor showers. We had a low of 64 this morning and are at 73 at noon. Gitche Gumi has 2-3ft dark blue waves with dark olive shadows from the south against a cloudy horizon. Overhead we have mostly blue skies with a few white clouds being pushed by us. It is so nice to have no visible smoke and no smell of the wildfires in the western states.
Aug 11: After a high of 79 yesterday afternoon, we woke up to 59 degrees and rain during the morning hours. The 2 to 3 hour slow soaking rain cleared out around 9am. We know have clear blue clean skies, a crisp white horizon line, and a gentle breeze. Lake Superior has 1-2ft blue waves with green shadows and silver highlights from the south. We are at 67 degrees at noon.
Aug 10: It was slow to cool off last night but by this morning we were down to 64. The waves on the lake dissipated overnight down to 6" geenish gray waves from the SE this morning brushing against the rocks. It is foggy with limited visibility. The lake disappears into a wall of grayish white after around a 100 yards. The air is still.
Aug 9: It was a good day to be outdoors today. It was warm with a high of 79 and the air had a small breeze. Skies were lightly overcast or partly cloudy. The air seemed clean but it was heavy and humid. Lake Superior has 1-2ft blue waves from the SE. The bears once again visited us and although they could not get the covers off the garbage bins, htey did manage to get their paws partially inside the bins to make a mess. It is time to figure out another plan to secure the garbage.
Aug 8: The air is still and the skies are a gray overcast this morning. Our low was 62 this morning. Gitche Gumi is gray with 2ft waves from the SE with green shadows. The dark overcast skies and the still air feel like the calm before the storm. We will have to wait and see what unfolds.
Aug 7: It was a cool day with gray overcast skies pretty much all day. Our low was 61 and our high was 66. There was a strong wind today that with the low temperatures made it almost cold, but being cold was so refreshing. Lake Superior had blusih gray 2ft waves from the SE.
Aug 6: We have mostly cloudy skies with a little sun and still plenty of haze this morning. At least there is no smell of smoke in the air. After a muggy day yesterday with a high of only 72, rain last night dropped the temperature to 62 this morning. Lake Superior just roared during the night with 3ft or more waves pummeling the rocks. This morning we have a silver lake with 2ft roller waves from the south and the air is still.
Aug 5: It was a warm night with a temperature of 68 early this morning. Temperatures have remained stagnant throughout today with a high so far of 71 at 2pm. It is definately muggy. Skies are overcast both with mositure and smoke. Lake Superior is a silver blue with green shadows against a fuzzy horizon.
Aug 4: The hazy smokey skies continue keeping us from direcrtly feeling the sun during the day and keeping us a little warmer at night. We had a low of 58 and a high of 79 today. There was a strong wind mostly from the west today and 1-3ft waves on Lake Superior from the south. The lake was loud and ble but with limited visibility and no discernable horizon line for most of the day.
Aug 3: I woke up to another day with the smell of smoke in the cool air blowing into our bedroom. The skies are a brownish blue today with lots of haze. After a high of 77 yesterday we began the day with 58 degrees this morning. We have 1-2ft blue waves with silver highlights from the south with a fuzzy white horizon.
Aug 2: It was 58 this morning. The sky is hazy brown and you can smell the smoke in the air. We have 1ft bluish gray waves from the SE this afternoon. The horizon is a fuzzy white. There is a decent breeze to keep the air moving. A bear visited our garbage last night and made a huge mess. I guess it is time to lock the garbage bins at night and unlock them in the morning.
Aug 1: We started August with a low of 59 which made for good sleeping weather this morning. After a high of 75 today we are already down to 65 at 10pm and look forward to another comfortable night of sleep. Lake Superior had blue 1-2ft waves today with mostly overcast skies sending one bank of clouds after another past us.
July 2021
Jul 31: The low this morning was 62 and our high today was at 5pm with a temperature of 83. We can smell the smoke in the air today but have been told by guests that it is even worse in Duluth and the Twin Cities. There has been a comfortable but warm breeze from the west all day. Lake Superior is blue with a textured surface but with no discernable wave direction. You can watch the gusts of wind spread out over the lake surface. Teresa picked raspberries yesterday for the first time this season. They are small with the drought but their flavor is powerful.
Jul 30: Our low this morning was a very comfortable and almost chilly 55 while our afternoon high only managed 72. It seemed humid out with a lot of condensation on our pipes in the utlity room. However, at 72 degrees how can we complain when southern Minnesota is well into the 90's. There was a comfortable breeze, a mostly blue hazy sky, and a mostly blue lake with a hint of purple close to the horizon and greenish shadows close to shore. There were 1-2ft waves.
Jul 29: We traveled to Duluth today. Temperatures topped out at 82 both in the Duluth waterfront and Grand Marais waterfront. We began the day in the mid 60's and ended the day rolling into Grand Marais with the temperature back down to 69. No rain. Bluish brown skies and lots of smoke complete with the smokey smell that lasted all day. You could barely see the loading docks looking down at the Duluth harbor from the top of the hill.
Jul 28: We have had overcast and rain most of the day. The day began with Lake Superior's surface as gray glass. After a high of 79 yesterday today our morning low was 59 and our high was only 71. There is a breeze and the cool temperatures made for comfortable work outdoors. I cut down a tree and found a finch nest complete with a baby in one of the crotches. I found another tree close by and placed the nest up high in a crotch. I though for sure that would be the end of the baby finch but a couple hours later the mama bird was back in the nest. An answer to a little prayer.
Jul 27: There are small smooth waves from the SE on a smooth bluish silver surface this morning against a hazy but bright horizon sky. Overhead the skies are again a brownish blue. Our low this morning was 63 and we are expected to reach the mid 70's today. The air is still. Even after the small rains of these past days, you can really see the effects of the dryness and the birch, the mountain ash, and especially on the red osier dogwood whose leaves have almost completely dired up.
Jul 26: It was 66 this morning after a blistering 92 degrees yesterday afternoon. It was still 78 when I went to bed at 9pm in spite of the cool breeze. Lake Superior was loud last night. I would guess 3ft waves from the sound. Today the lake was much more subdued 2ft waves this morning and ending up with a still lake by dusk. Our high in Croftville was 76 this afternoon and quite pleasant temperature-wise, but the skies were overcast and you could smell the smoke today even though we had 3 light rains this afternoon and early evening.
Jul 25: Yesterday afternoon the winds changed from the lake to the hill and brought hot air to us. Our high was 90. The wind continued and the air flow felt good but it took well into the night before we finally dropped back into the 60's. The full moon was a yellowish orange throughout the night due to the smoke in our air. Our low this morning was 67. We still have a warm wind and a hot sun that is partially obscured by the hazy blue skies. Lake Superior has 2ft blue waves with green shadows from the south against a hazy white horizon.
Jul 24: After an early morning light rain we had a low of 65 this morning. There is a pleasant brisk breeze and we are back to the smoky blue skies. Lake Superior has 1-2ft light blue waves with navy shadows from the south. The horizon line is white. We are at 75 degrees at 1pm.
Jul 23: Our low was 65 this morning and our afternoon high was 76. We had heavy overcast skies all day and high humidity for Grand Marais. They kept telling us we were to get thunderstorms but at this point they were just a boy crying wolf. Lake Superior was gray against a light gray horizon line and then it happened. About 7pm we had a strong thunder and lightning storm come through with a downpour of rain and after one crack we lost power for about an hour. The whole storm was over in less than an hour. The ground was so dry and hard that much of the rain just ran off rather than soaking in. It was so good to feel the rain and the powerful winds hurling that precipitation almost horizontally.
Jul 22: Our low this morning was 61 and our high was 70 today. We had overcast skies and clouds today again with the lingering smoke keeping the overcast color with a brownish tint. We even had a couple small bouts of rain today, just enough to get the surfaces wet. Lake Superior was a grayish blue with 1-2ft waves and a fuzzy horizon line.
Jul 21: With a low of 51 this morning and a high yesterday of only 71 it is a pleasant change in weather. The humidity has diassipated but the haze in the air due to wildfires is still there. Lake Superior has 2ft monotone blusih gray roller waves from the SSE this morning. With a relatively smooth it is deceptive how loud those rollers are when they break onto the rocks. Yesterday was a great day to be outdoors and today should be a repeat. It felt so good to be cold last night.
Jul 20: Our low was 64 this morning after a high yesterday afternoon of 82 in Croftville. We have a gray haze and cloudy skies today. Lake Superior is a uniform bluish gray. During the night the waves grew to 2-3ft from the SSE. It was so good to hear the lake roaring. This morning we have 1-2ft waves from the SE. There is a cool breeze in the air that dropped our temps last night from the 70's into the 60's which made for comfortable sleeping this morning.
Jul 19: We are ready for a break in this weather. At least this morning I can see the lake horizon in spite of the humid smoky overcast skies. Lake Superior has 1-2ft waves from the south hitting our shore this morning. Close to shore they are a blue gray with green shadows. Further out they are silver gray with a slight purple tint. It is good to hear the waves again. It was 61 this morning and is 70 right now at 11am. Our guests fnd this comfortable but we have become wimps to humidity living on the North Shore.
Jul 18: It was another day without seeing the horizon. The overcast on the sky is the mixture of humidity and smoke in the air. It would be nice to have the crisp clear day we expect in northern Minnesota but there doesn't appear to be an end of smoke from wildfires in Ontario and Oregon in sight messing with our air quailty here. Think rain. Our low this morning was 59 and our high this afternoon was 77. The air was still and Lake Superior was still and grayish blue before it disappeared into the haze.
Jul 17: We traveled to Duluth today to get a backup washer after a part for our regular washer for the resort will not arrive for 6 days. It was hot in Duluth. Up on the hill it was in the 90's in the ashphalt parking lots. There was a large group of people having a good time with the regge music festival at Bayfront Park but maybe next year. We saw several freighters close enough to shore not to disappear in the haze. As we traveled along the shore back to Grand Marais temperatures began to drop. Our high in Grand Marais today was 81.
Jul 16: It is still this morning. The subtle breeze is creating small ripples on a calm gray Lake Superior surface. There is no horizon line this morning as the light gray lake disappears seamlessly into the fog and overcast sky. Our low was 59 after a high yesterday of 81. Our temperatures yesterday was a roller coaster as the lake breeze would come and go and then come again. Lawns are now going dormant in Grand Marais from the lake of rain and our birch trees continue to brown and drop their leaves to conserve moisture.
Jul 15: Our low this morning was 61 after a high yesterday of 73. It seemed warmer than that yesterday. The temperature spiked briefly this morning to 77 at about 10am but has come back down to 70 at 11am. Such is the life along our big cold lake. A small change in the direction of the breeze can result in large temperature variations. Overhead we have hazy blue skies with rows of cumulus clouds passing by. Gitche Gumi is a light blue with silver highlights and navy shadows with 1ft waves from the south on a textured surface.
Jul 14: Our high yesterday was 79 degrees and our low this morning was a warm 65. There is a pleasant breeze. Lake Superior is smooth with just ripples on its pale gray surface. The sky is brownish blue and I could actually smell smoke in the air this morning. The horizon line is indistinct as the gray lake meld into the grayish brown sky.
Jul 13: It is another day with lots of haze in the air. It appears that all of this haze is still smoke from the fires in Ontario although later today their is supposed to be potential moisture moving into the area. Lake Superior began to stir during the night and has 1ft smooth roller waves from the SE this morning. Lake Superior is a light bluish gray against a fuzzy white horizon line. The air is still and 67 degrees at 11am after a mornign low of 58.
Jul 12: We had a high of 78 this afternoon after a low of 60 this morning. It felt good working in the shade today with a gentle breeze passing through the trees. However, out in the sun in the late afternoon felt quite warm. The sky was hazy once again with smoke but light enough for the sun to form shadows but not clear enough to see a clear outline of the sun in the sky. Lake Superior was calm and light gray. At times visibility on the lake was limited due to the haze.
Jul 11: The haze from the wildfires in Ontario is quite noticable today. The clear skies just barely have a hint of blue in them. The sun last night driving from Duluth was orange and blurry in the western skies. Lake Superior was glass last night and only has ripples on its alsmot colorless surface this morning. The horizon is a hazy white. Our low this morning was a surprisingly warm 60 degrees after a high yesterday of 78.
Jul 10: The lake is calm this morning with only ripples on its flat light blue surface. There is a narrow navy band on the lake just below the horizon. The horizon line is crisp with a white sky the turns to sky blue as you move up away from horizon. Not a cloud in the sky this morning where we started at 53 degrees and are now at 61 at 9am. The iar should warm up nicely and I expect we will have a repeat of our 78 degree high late yesterday afternoon.
Jul 9: It is another beautiful July day in Croftville. We are at 61 at 11am after a crisp morning low of 50. Yesterday's high was 76. There is a nice wind and clear blue skies. Gitche Gumi has 1-2ft deep blue waves with dark green shadows from the south. The horizon line is crisp against an almost white horizon sky that turns sky blue overhead.
Jul 8: It was chilly this morning at 47 degrees here by the lake. Our high yesterday was 69. The skies today are clear and blue but still with a little haze. We can no longer smell the smoke in the air from Ontario fires. Today the air is still. Lake Superior is light blue with some isolated blotches of navy on a rippled surface with small waves from the SSE.
Jul 7: Yesterday's expected rain amounted to a couple small sprinkles. The birch trees are really beginning to show signs of stress. They are browning and dropping leaves as a way to conserve water. Ususally we don't see this until dry periods in later August but this year we are seeing this behavior in early July. On our drive to Duluth yesterday I also ntices some browning of new growth on some of the white spruce. After a high of 62 yesterday our low this morning was 55 degrees here along the lake. We have a brisk cool breeze, plenty of sun, partly cloudy skies, and 61 degrees at noon. Lake Superior is a deep purplish blue with green shadows and 3-4ft waves from the SE.
Jul 6: It was an amazing bout of heat yesterday. It was 84 degrees by the lake by noon and we peaked out at 95 degrees by 6pm before temperatures finally began to recede. 95 degrees along Lake Superior in Grand Marais is an extreme rarity. We go most summers never seeing 90 degrees along our shore. Once in a while we go an entire summer never seeing 80 degrees along our shore. Luckily the humidity was low and we had dropped into the low 70's by 11pm. Temperatures continued to drop and we are at 63 this morning. They are saying that temperautres are to stay on the low 60's and maybe even drop into the 50's this afternoon. What a difference a day can make. Skies are cloudy today. Lake Superior is a greeninsh gray with 1-2ft waves from the SE.
Jul 5: It was 69 this morning after a night of still air. Skies are blue but there is a noticable haze. Gitche Gumi has 1ft roller waves on a smooth surface from the SSE. The lake is gray except for a navy band near the fuzzy horizon. Sitting out last night we were swarmed by mosquitoes which of course are commonplace in Minnesota but a rarity so close to the big lake.
Jul 4: Lake Superior stopped the heat from overwhelming us yesterday and today like it did for most of the rest of Minnesota. Our high yesterday was only 79 and ditto for today after an overnight low of 61. Skies were clear but hazy today shunning some of the sun's power. Lake Superior was blue and mostly calm with a fuzzy gray horizon line. The only noticable waves were from the wakes of passing by boats.
Jul 3: This is going to be the hottest day of the summer so far. I woke up to 78 degrees this morning outside and 70 degrees inside. A temperature inversion like that is almost unheard of here in Croftville. Our high was only 80 yesterday. The warm front was ushered in by a sudden wind in the middle of the night. Since getting up this morning Lake Superior has been doing its magic and we have dropped 4 degrees to 74. The big lake has 1-2ft silver blue waves from the south with navy shadows. Skies are clear but a little hazy making the sun a little less intense.
Jul 2: We have a slightly hazy blue sky, a gentle breeze from the north, and 64 degrees at noon. Yesterday our high was 71 and we dropped to 55 this morning. Lake Superior has 1-2ft blue waves from the south with a hazy white horizon line.
Jul 1: We have 1-2ft deep blue waves from the SE with silver highlights and navy shadows. There is a crisp white horizon line and a pleasant breeze. The high yesterday was 74 and it was humid by Grand Marais standards. We had 2 strong but brief thunderstorms pass through in the afternoon. The rest of the evening was still but around 2am a front came through that brought the breeze and slammed all our open doors shut. This morning we had 56 degrees. Skies are mostly blue with a few small puffs of white clouds.
June 2021
Jun 30: We had a couple welcome rainstorms pass through Croftville yesterday afternoon. By evening the skies turned to partly cloudy and it was beautiful outside with a high of 73. This morning our low was 61. We have light hazy skies this morning, light enough that the sun comes through enough to make shadows. Lake Superior has 6" blue and silver waves with navy shadows from the SE this morning after being glass during the night.
Jun 29: This morning we have 1ft blue gray waves from the SE out on the big lake breaking onto our rocks. The air is stll and 61 degrees this morning after a high of 75 yesterday afternoon. There is a crisp horizon line with a narrow band of navy on the lake at the horizon. Skies are a light gray overcast but there is a hint of blue off to the west.
Jun 28: Lake Superior has only blue ripples from the SSE that disappear into a white fog. No horizon line can be seen over the lake today. Elsewhere, skies are clear blue with a hint of purple. There is a gentle breeze that feels good on the skin. There is plenty of sun which also feels good on the skin. Our high yesterday was 72 and our low this morning was 58.
Jun 27: The rain we have today was a wonderful surprise during the night to wake up and find it coming down. I closed a couple windows and all was good. It is 63 and humid this morning after a high of 73 yesterday. Skies are a dark gray overcast and the light rain feels like it will continue through the morning. The air is still, the lake is still, and one can barely see the line between the gray lake and the gray sky.
Jun 26: It is still and muggy today by Grand Marais standards. Out low was 59 after a high yesterday of 79. Skies are a white overcast today and we have 66 degrees at noon. Lake Superior is calm with ripples from the SSE. It's silver gray surface is only faintly discernable from the fuzzy white horizon line.
Jun 25: After a high of 80 yesterday we only cooled down to 58 overnight. It looks like another warm day here along the lake in Croftville. Skies are clear becoming almost white at the horizon and blue blue with a hint of purple off to the west. Gitche Gumi was still and silent during the early morning hours as we watched the yellow full moon make its way across the sky while reflecting off the lake surface. This morning the lake only has ripples and is blue. Our honeysuckle blossoms are now beginning to fade but have been so much fun seeing for the pastcouple weeks. Not the blossoms on the mountain ash are beginning.
Jun 24: There is a feel of warmth in the air today. Even though it is still early morning there is a sense that this will be a warm day. Even during the night with the 2ft waves and cool breeze there was a sense that today was going to be warm. At 11am we are at 73 degrees just 1 degree short of yesterday's high. Skies are clear blue except for a thick white haze above Lake Superior to the south. Lake Superior is a grayish blue with 2ft waves coming straight in from the SSE. The breeze feels good on your skin but its direction seems indistinct.
Jun 23: Our low was 46 and our high was 73 as our days now begin the long march of decreasing daylight. It was a beautiful June day on the North Shore with just the right combination of sun, clouds, wind, and temperature. Lake Superior had 2-3ft waves and the combination of waves and breeze made for a good night's sleep. I noticed mosquitos biting me in the shade today even along the big lake, not a swarm but nontheless unusual so close to Lake Superior.
Jun 22: We warmed up yesterday to a comfortable 68 after on and off showers during the day. Our low this morning is 51. Skies are clear and light blue except for a small line of cumulus clouds that can be faintly seen on the horizon of Lake Superior. The big lake is a dark blue with navy shadows and 1ft waves from the south on a highly textured surface. The air is still. My sister is 60 years old today and I am thinking of her and the summertime birthday parties we had for her when we were kids at the homestead in Faribault.
Jun 21: After a high of 55 yesterday we dropped to a chilly 46 during the night. The overcast rainy skies and still air from yestday has been replaced by wind and mostly cloudy skies with patches of blue. The wind has created a navy textured surface on the lake that has just ripples from the SE.
Jun 20: The lake was still this morning with only ripples. Temps dropped all the way to 49 this morning with only 53 degrees at 1pm. Overcast skies and occasional light rain moved into our area around 8am leaving any clear skies behind.
Jun 19: It hit 84 yesterday late afternoon but the wind cooled things off nicely during the night. Our morning low was 56 as we headed off to watch our son in the Grandma's Marathon from Two Harbors to Duluth this morning. Skies were partly cloudy and the race was in the low 60's all morning. We watched from University Park next to the Lester River and conditions were perfect both for runners and spectators. Joey finished in 3 hours, 2 minutes. We caravaned back to Grand Marais and celebrated with pizza, beer, family, Lake Superior, and a fire. A good time was had by all 18 of us.
Jun 18: It is a windy day with strong gusts that blow any unsecured paperwork right off my desk. There are beautiful blue skies dotted with cumulus clouds and plenty of sun. Waves began picking up during the night. Right now we have 2-3ft blue, silver, and gray waves from the south. Our high late yesterday afternoon was 82 briefly before temps dropped quickly. Our morning low was 57 and right now we have 74 degrees at noon.
Jun 17: All we have are ripples from the SSE this morning on a smooth lake surface. The lake is light blue close to the shore and fades to silver and then white further out. The lake horizon is fuzzy and the sky is white there. Overhead we have clear blue skies and 55 degrees. Our high yesterday was 71.
Jun 16: The lake is still this morning and became silent during the night. It was a comfortably cool 52 this mornng. The horizon is crisp and white. There are multiple alternating horizontal bands of navy and light blue. Skies are clear and pale blue this morning.
Jun 15: In spite that our temperature spiked to 77 briefly this afternoon, overall it was a cool day along Lake Superior with a cold breeze coming off the lake requiring you to put on a sweatshirt on a moments notice. Our low this morning was 56. Lake Superior hd 1-2ft dark blue waves against a light blue clear sky.
Jun 14: We woke up to a Lake Superior with only ripples on it and we could see each distinct rock on the lake bed. After a high of 69 with lots of rain and overcast yesterday, our overnight low was a warm 59 degrees. We are already to 68 at check-out time. The breeze from earlier this morning has ceased. It could be a warm muggy day by Grand Marais standards. Skies are cloudy and Lake Superior is gray.
Jun 13: The fog burned off yesterday afternoon and our high spiked to 84. Overnight our low was 55. Gitche Gumi has 1-2ft blue waves with navy shadows and silver highlights from the south. The horizon is fuzzy with a white haze surrounding it. Overhead we have blue skies but it appears there is a white front of clouds approaching from the west. There is a comfortable cool wind from the west.
Jun 12: Our low was 51 today after a high of 61 yesterday. There is fog on the lake with visibility limited to about 100ft. Lake Superior has 1-2ft blue gray waves from the south. Overhead, we have partly cloudy skies with cumulus clouds.
Jun 11: Wow. We drove to Duluth yesterday and it was 94 in the parking lot up on the hill. That was a far cry from the 61 degrees it was when we left Grand Marais at noon and the 47 degrees it was when we returned at 10pm. The high in Grand Marais by the lake was 65 yesterday and the low last night was 47. We are at 56 at 11am with fog and about 50 yards of visibility out on the green and gray lake. We have 3ft waves from the SE. There is a brisk wind so it is surprising the fog is sticking around.
Jun 10: We have 2ft silver gray roller waves on Lake Superior this morning that disappear into the fog about 100 yards out from shore. The skies are a heavy gray overcast and our overnight low was 59 after a high yesterday of 73. It was one of those drop dead beautiful day on the North Shore yesterday with sun, blue skies, a deep blue lake, and a comfortable wind. During the night 2 cloud fronts came through complete with lightning. The second one brought us an intense but brief rain. The air is still this morning and at 11am we have only warmed up to 61 degrees.
Jun 9: Lake Superior is a deep blue with 2-3ft waves from the SE today. There is an unexplained white band on the lake towards the horizon. Skies are clear but with a hint of purple in the blue. There is a cool breeze that feels so refreshing in the sun. Our low over night was a very warm 60 degrees after a high of 78 yesterday here by the shore. The breeze is keeping temps down today and we are at 63 dgrees at 11am.
Jun 8: After being in the mid 70's most of yesterday afternoon, the temperature spiked briefly to 84 in the late afternoon. Our low this morning was once again 56 by the lake. A brief line of thunderheads passed through in the early morning hours dropping a little rain. Lake Superior was still ovenight but started picking up waves after the rain. This afternoon we have 69 degrees with 1-2ft waves from the SSE. The lake is light blue with silver shadows against a hazy white sky. Overhead we have a mixture of white haze, blue skies, and sun.
Jun 7: It was nice listening to the waves as we slept last night. There was too much haze over the lake to enjoy the stars out there but the stars were amazing straight over our heads. Our high yesterday was 73 but our low only got doown to 56 this morning. We are at 75 degrees this afternoon. Lake Superior has 1ft blue waves coming straight in from the SSE. tehre is a gentle breeze in the air. The skies a partly cloudy with white cumulus clouds takng up about halk the sky but with plenty of blue and sun.
Jun 6: Lake Superior has 1ft light blue waves from the SE on a textured surface. The horizon is indistinct with a white haze that gets thicker further out on the lake. Overhead we have light blue skies and lots of sun. Yesterday our high was 71 compared to the 90's in most of Minnesota. Our low this morning was 52.
Jun 5: It was a very warm 56 degree low overnight after a high of 68 yesterday. The big lake has 1-2ft blue waves from the SE this morning. The blue skies have high thin white clouds scattered about and a lot of sun.
Jun 4: We woke up to 1ft blue waves from the SE and 49 degrees this morning. The waves are disappating and are just ripples at noon with a temperature now of 56 degrees. Our high yesterday was 70 just briefly yesterday afternoon and we will likely see a high above 70 today aw well. The air has just a gentle breeze with no particular direction. Skies are blue and cloudless except for a bank of thin white clouds near the lake horizon.
Jun 3: The lake was still and silent last night. After a high of 68 we stayed a balmy 52 last night. This morning I heard the old fishing boat with its funky sounding engine pass by. About 5 minutes later the wake from the boat made it to shore. Waves have started picking up this morning and we currently have 1ft waves on a gray textured surface from the SSW. Skies are gray overcast, it feels like it should rain. Temps are stayng in the low 50's.
Jun 2: Lake Superior has a textured blue surface with small waves from the SE. There is a pencil thin navy blue band against the horizon and 2 white bands a little closer to us on the lake. Skies are mostly clear blue except for a few thin high clouds over the lake. After a high of 68 yesterday we had a low of 48 this morning and are at 56 degrees at 1pm.
Jun 1: June begins with a low of 46 this morning after a high of 64 yesterday. There are clear blue skies overhead that turn to a yellowis white near the horizon. Lake Superior is a pale blue except for an unexplained horizontal dark navy band about halfway between the shore and the horizon. There are just ripples from the SSE on the smooth surface. The air is still this morning. The density of the summer foliage in the boreal forest is increasing.
May 2021
May 31: Gitche Gumi has 1-2ft blus waves with green shadows on a highly textured surface from the south today. The skies are partly cloudy and hazy over the lake with pale blue skies over the shore and inland. Our low was 41 and we are at 57 degrees at noon. The service berries are now in full bloom and the Canada Cherry are beginning to blossom.
May 30: It was a beatiful day today with a chilly 39 degree start and a high of 59. There was plenty of sun and then near evening we had thunderclouds and overcast skies approaching from the SW. Once again Lake Superior killed the front and all we got was some impressive clouds at a distance and a decent but mild rain. Lake Superior had a blue surface with 1ft waves from the SSE.
May 29: At 34 degrees, it was our coldest morning yet in this cold spell. Lake Superior became calm and quiet during the night. This morning it is a pale blue with just ripples from the SSE. The faint blue lake and the faint blue sky meet almost seamlessly at the horizon this morning. The air is still and the skies are clear. We should climb into the 60's again today and it will be a great day to be outside on this holiday weekend.
May 28: It was another cold night with a low of 35, frost on rooftops, and our flowers survived unscathed. Blue skies and sun today warmed us up to a high of 63. Lake Superior had 1ft light blue roller waves from the SE against a hazy white horizon line. The foliage has now become dense enough that it is no longer easy to see very far into the boreal forest that is getting a denser green each day.
May 27: Although it warmed up briefly to 67 yesterday it plummeted to 37 last night with frost on the rooves of the cabins this morning. We are at 43 degrees at 1pm. It is a cold crisp day with a hazy white sky, a brownish gray lake, and a blue horizon line. Lake Superior has 2-3ft waves from the SE. I wasn't even thinking about frost, we are lucky our flowers survived.
May 26: It was a warm night with a low of 50. At 11am we are only up to 51 degrees. The almost full moon dominated the night lighting up the sky and the lake. A brisk wind made sleeping comfortable. That gusty wind continues today blowing out into the lake and buffeting its surface. Lake Superior is deep blue with 2ft waves from the south against a crisp white horizon line. Overhead we have blue skies with some clouds. The aspens are becoming a darker green and losing that pale green hue they have when they first leaf out.
May 25: The lake was calm and gray. We had fog and mist much of the day. Our low was 47. Our high was 68 and it was humid, muggy, and buggy by Grand Marais standards. About 4pm a cool breeze began and quickly dropped us back into the low 50's. A little later the skies partially cleared and we could see the almost full moon in the east over the lake.
May 24: There is a fuzzy light gray horizon line againt a silver lake with green shadows today. We have 1-2ft waves from the SE. Our low was 44 and we are currently at 49 at noon. The overcast skies will keep the temperatures on the cold side. Something is blossoming outside but I have not been able to figure out what it is that has the perfume like smell that is permeating the inn.
May 23: What a difference a day can make. A thunderstorm in the evening broke the fog and brough in a cold front over the night. We were 44 this morning and topped out at 50 this afternoon before dropping back into the 40's this evening. Lake Superior has 2-3ft waves from the SE and we can see the horizon for the first time in several days. We have a gray overcast against a gray lake.
May 22: Our low was 50 this morning and we are 62 at noon. Temps will probably not climb much higher here by the foggy shore and the overcast gray skies overnhead. Lake Superior has less than 50ft of visibility. The lake only has gray ripples on it. The trees are still but we can feel a light breeze which adds comfort to what we consider a muggy day. I know, we are wimps. I am sure it is beyond most people's understanding that we can complain about humidity when it is only 62 degrees outside.
May 21: It was foggy when we woke up, it was foggy all day, it will probably still be foggy when we go to bed. My wife saw a couple patches of blue just briefly around noon. Most of the day we could not even see Lake Superior. Right now we have visibility of about 50ft out from the shore. The big lake has 1ft silver blue waves with olive shadows from the SSE. There were times today that we could not even see Cottage #1 just 50ft away and we could watch the fog move through our covered porch. The low was 52 and the high 64 today.
May 20: The rain continues today. We had a good soaking in the early morning hours and it has been raining on and off all morning. The fog was so thick for a while last night that I could barely make out Cottage #1 just 40 feet away. Needless to say Lake Superior was just a large white blur. Our low this morning is 50 and our high will probably stay in the 50's unless the rain cover breaks and lets some sunlight through. We have visibility of a couple hundred feet out on the lake. There are 1ft blue gray waves from the SE before they disappear into white oblivion.
May 19: Clouds and overcast moved in during the evening hours and by morning we had white overcast skies and light rain. Our overnight low of 51 degrees is a warm night here even in the middle of the summer. Lake Superior has 1ft bluish gray waves from the SE that disappear into fog about 100 yards from the shore. The air is still and it looks like this is a fog/mist/rain that will stick around all day.
May 18: It feels like summer here on the North Shore. Afternoon brought 1ft blue waves from the SE with a textured surfcae and navy blue shadows. The horizon line was pale blue. The morning low was a balmy 48 climbing up to a high of 68 now for 4 days in a row. The birch along the shore even began leafing out today in the sun and warmth.
May 17: Happy Sytennde Mai. It was a high of 68 after a low of 43 this morning. The waves returned Lake Superior in the later part of the morning. We had 1-2ft waves from the SE and it was so good to hear those waves against the rocks. We had lots of sun and blue skies and a deep blue lake. The wild strawberries are blossoming in our yard and my wife saw hummingbirds at our feeders today.
May 16: It is 43 this morning with blue skies except over the lake. Over Superior we have hazy skies against the pale blue lake and small waves from the SE. These small waves are the largest waves we have seen on Lake Superior in several days. Bouts of still water are usually quite brief. The aspens above Grand Marais began leafing out yesterday about 5 days ahead of their normal leafing out around May 20. It is so refreshing to see that pale spring green foliage instead of the ambers and wheat colors we get used to looking at since the leaves fell last fall.
May 15: Our high today was 68 after a morning low of 43 next to Lake Superior. Lake Superior was pale blue and calm with only ripples from the SSE on the surface. The lake is so still we could barely hear the brushing of the ripples against the shore rocks. Overhead we have some blue and some light white haze in the air. We traveled to Duluth this afternoon and saw some massive thunderheads to the south of Duluth and even a little rain down by Beaver Bay.
May 14: Again we had a high of 60 yesterday and overnight we had a balmy 45. I had a hard time sleeping last night because Gitche Gami was silent and still. The quietness without the sounds of the lake can be almost deafening when you are used to the waves. The air is still as well so there is no noise in the trees either. Lake Superior is a still pale blue with ripples beginning to build from the south. Skies have some blue, some cloud cover, and some overcast haze.
May 13: Our high yesterday was 60 and our low was 40 this morning. We have another beautiful day but it doesn't feel as warm as the temperature says it is. For some reason the sun doesn't feel as warm as we think it should either. Maybe we are just becoming impatient for summer. We are so ready to see leaves on the trees. Right now, only the gooseberries are leafed out. Lake Superior is a pale blue with 1ft waves from the SSW. The horizon is fuzzy and mostly white. Skies overhead clear blue but I can see some cumulus clouds off far to the west.
May 12: It dropped to 35 this morning after a brief high of 60 degrees yesterday. Lake Superior has just ripples from the south on its pale blue surface. We have clear blue skies except for a light white haze far out over the lake. There is a thin navy blue band at the horizon. This would be a day where newcomers to the area would swear that it land they are seeing across the lake but it is only a mirage (albeit a powerful mirage). The grass is turning greener and the buds are now visible on the quaking aspens.
May 11: It is a beautiful day for a track meet on the North Shore, that is, if it was held during the day. Unfortunately, today's track meet doesn't begin until 4pm and by the time it is over it will be quite cold especially for the spectators watching their kids. Today we have clear blue skies, a crisp pale blue horizon line, against a deep blue lake with a textured surface. There are ripples from the ESE and we can see all the rocks lining the lake bed. Our low this morning was 37 degrees.
May 10: We have 1ft blue waves from the SSW tonight. Although it was clear skies most of the day there is purple cloud front moving across the lake now. Our low this morning was 37 and we just managed to touch 50 briefly after being in the mid 40's all day.
May 9: It is a beautiful Sunday morning looking out at Lake Superior from Croftville. Skies are clear blue except for a thin line of thin clouds far out over Lake Superior. The lake is a steel blue with 1ft waves from the SE against a faint blue but crisp horizon line. Our high yesterday was 54 and our low this morning was 36. With little breeze and a lot of sun I expect temps will warm up rapidly.
May 8: Our morning low was 34 after a high of 50 yesterday. Lake Superior is a deep blue with a textured surface this morning. There are small 1ft waves from the SE. The lake horizon has a few wispy cirrus clouds but the rest of the lake has clear skies over it. Over our heads on the shore we have partly cloudy skies with gray bottomed cumulus clouds dotting the blue sky. Our fox that we see is now distinctly a fox family with 2 adults and 5 or more young ones. Our cat, although sort of amused by one fox, has taken a more aggressive stance with 7 foxes about. I saw her try to chase the foxes away. My son says it looks more like she is stalking them the way she stalks her prey.
May 7: We are at 35 degrees this morning. Lake Superior is glass-like near the shore. We can see every rock on the lakebed clearly. Skies are partly cloudy with plenty of blue and plenty of white cumulus clouds. Further out on the lake the surface is highly textured but with no discernable wave propagation.
May 6: Our low was 34 and our high 54 today. Rain started in the late afternoon and continued into the early evening hours. We had cirrus clouds over the lake in the morning. The lake was mostly calm today with a textured grayish blue surface. The grass has really greened up and the quaking aspens buds are becoming quite noticable.
May 5: The day started with a still pale blue Lake Superior with only ripples on the water and 39 degrees. As the wind picked up we developed 1ft textured purplish waves from the south. Skies today were mostly cloudy with a little sun and a little rain at times. At 6pm our high today is 50 degrees.
May 4: Lake Superior has partly cloudy skies above it with patches of blue. Overhead we have mostly clear skies and plenty of sun. The lake has a textured blue surface with small waves just barely noticable from the SE. The low this morning was 39 and we are at 48 at noon.
May 3: The came out late in the day yesterday and we climbed up to 54 briefly. The low overnight was 46. Lake Superior has 3ft grennish gray waves from the SE today but overnight they had grown to 4ft and I could see the whitecaps in the moonlight. The horizon has a dark blue band across the lake. We have light gray overcast skies and mostly still air.
May 2: We managed 62 late yesterday for a high. Today it is a much cooler day with a breeze off the lake keeping temperatures down to 48 this afternoon. Lake Superior is sort of a copper/bronze color close to the shore and turns a blusih green further out. Skies are hazy but the sun and shadows still make it through. The horizon is a fuzzy white and we have 3ft waves from the SE pounding the rocks.
May 1: We entered May with a low of 41 last night and we are at 52 this afternoon next to the lake. There is a breeze off the lake otherwise with all this sun and blue skies we would be much warmer. Lake Superior has 1-2ft blue waves with olive shadows coming straight in from the SSE. The sun feels warm on your face, the wind off the lake makes you shiver.
April 2021
Apr 30: The last day of April. The low was 32 and the high was 64. It was a gorgeous day to be outdoors but I spent it doing laundry with 7 check-outs and 7 check-ins on this Friday. Skies were mostly clear and blue with some high clouds showing up from the SW in the late afternoon. Lake Superior was a pale blue with small waves. You could just barely hear the lake.
Apr 29: For a day that began as overcast gray skies in the morning, this was remarkable unexpected surprise by late morning and on into the afternoon. Our low was 36 this morning and we topped out at 64 degrees by late afternoon with blue skies, sun, and a gentle breeze. The the skies clouded up again by evening and we had a spell of light rain. Lake Superior had many colors today depending on what time of day it was. The lake had a rippled surface with small 1ft waves brushing the rocks from the south.
Apr 28: We woke up to clear blue skies and a calm blue lake with a rippled surface. The low was 34 and we are at 49 so far this afternoon. It is a beautiful day to be outside and soak up the sun. The grass is becoming greener each day after all the rain we have had recently. All it needed was some sun and warm temperatures. Guests have been sharing with us the exploits of the red fox that explores our property each morning.
Apr 27: Lake Superior has a hazy white indistinct horizon with gray overcast skies overhead. There are 2-3ft greeinsh gray waves from the SE breaking on the shore. Our low overnight was 34 after a high hear by the lake of 35 yesterday. We are at 41 degrees at 11am. We are starting to see some green grass in places with a good southern exposure.
Apr 26: My how the weather changed during the night. Rain started during the night and has continued through this morning. Skies are a dark gray. Waves are 2-4ft from the SSE crashing head on into the rocks. There is a band of brown water near the shore. I am not sure if that is from the waves churning up the lake bed or from runoff from the overnight rain. Our low was 34 last night and at 11am we are at 35. Looks like temperatures are going to stay in the 30's today. Maybe we will see a little snow.
Apr 25: The low was 28 this morning with frost on the rooves and windshields but the sun warmed things up quickly to our high of 48. Overcast skies in the later afternoon kept us from climbing into the 50's. Lake Superior was a blue gray with 1ft waves from the SSE.
Apr 24: We started the morning with snow and mist. The snow accumulated a little on the trees and grass but was gone down here near the shore by noon. Our morning low was 34 after a high yesterday of 53. Today we never got out of the low 40's. Sun peaked out late in the afternoon for a brief period of time. Lake Superior was gray with 1ft waves on a textured surface.
Apr 23: This morning we have hazy skies and gusts of winds that we can follow moving out over the surface of the big lake. Our low was 34 but we still managed frost on the rooves and cars. Lake Superior is a dull blue with 1ft waves on a textured surface from the south.
Apr 22: It was 29 this morning and jumped to 53 late this afternoon. There were clear blue skies and a bright sun to warm things up. Lake Superior was a deppe sky blue reflecting the sky. We had 1ft waves from the SE. I could really notic the gooseberries leafing out.
Apr 21: They were predicting lows in the teens last night but here by the lake we only got to 29 after ia high yesterday of 34 degrees. We had snow flurries and mist falling most of yesterday afternoon. We have mostly blue skies with a mixture of gray and white clouds. The lake has a textured surface with silver blue highlights and navy shadows. There are small waves from the SSE. There is a narrow dark blue band near the horizon.
Apr 20: Clear blue skies overhead, partly cloudy skies over Superior. Lake Superior is blusih gray with 1ft smooth waves from the SE. The morning sun has blinding reflections off the smooth lake surface. The wind gust of yesterday are gone. Our morning low was 28 and the cold air around us is not warming up very much. Our daughter's track meet was moved to Friday because of the cold today.
Apr 19: It is the wind gusts that dominate our night and day today. Yes, we had rain during the night. Yes, we had snow this mornng. Yes, the low was 27 and we only managed a high of 38 today by the lake. But it was the wind gusts that you could feel hit the building, howl through the flues, and whistle through the windows that dominated the north shore experience today. It was the wind gusts that routed 3 freighters during the night to the northern route across Lake Superior. It was the wind gusts that knocked over the lawns furniture and ripped the canvas roof on my shed in two. It was the wind gusts that we watch spread out over the surface of the lake.
Apr 18: We had frost again on the cars and rooves this morning with a morning low of 30. Temps rebounded slowly into the 40's this afternoon with lightly overcast skies and no direct sun. Lake Superior was calm and pale blue with a light fog over it that the lake disappeared into and blending seamlessly into the white sky.
Apr 17: It was 30 degrees this morning after a high of 51 yesterday. Lake Superior is still and blue. There is a gentle breeze. The skies are mostly blue with a few small gray cumulus clouds. The red fox and our cat were serenading each other this morning. Sort of a barking and growling sonata.
Apr 16: The skies cleared up late yesterday afternoon and we had full sun for the first time in about 2 weeks. Temps spiked up to 52 in the late afternoon with the sun out. And of course the stars were out in full force last night. The clear skies also spiked our temperature downward with a morning low of 31 and frost covering all the rooves of the resort. Today we have clear blue skies overhead and stringy thin white clouds over the lake. Gitche Gumi has a pale blue smooth surface with 1ft waves from the SE. It has a narrow dark navy band just below the horizon. I have no idea what that band is from.
Apr 15: The sun looked like it wanted to come out today but it never did although the overcast and clouds got thin at times and there were small patches of blue in the sky. The low was 36 and our high 48. Lake Superior is a greenish gray with 1-2ft waves from the south. There was a fox trotting along our path by the lake this morning at sunrise.
Apr 14: It is cloudy and dry today after a bout of snow and rain yesterday afternoon. There are small openings of blue sky against a heavy cloud cover. Our low last night was 32 around midnight and temperatures have been slowly rising ever since. We are at 45 at noon. Lake Superior has 1ft gray waves from the south. We had a beaver visit our lakeshore this morning. He chewed down a 3" in diameter aspen for his morning meal and left it on the path when he must have been scared away by something.
Apr 13: It rained most of the day yesterday and the light rain continued through the night and into this morning. The low was 37 this morning. There is talk of snow in northern Minnesota today but the lake will keep us too warm for that to happen in Croftville. Skies are a gray overcast everywhere except for the white horizon across the lake. Waves have moved from the SE to the south today. We have 2-3ft waves with a few whitecaps. With all the runoff we have that chocolate brown band of water near the shore with a blue green lake further out.
Apr 12: Rain started back up last night around 7pm and rained all night long. It was a light warm rain with temperatures slow to fall off after a high of 54 yesterday. This morning we have dropped to 42. We have heavy overcast skies. There is no horizon line out on Lake Superior as the water disappears into the white fog. The lake has a brown band from runoff water near the shore and a greenish blue band further out. We have 2-3ft waves from the SE.
Apr 11: We have 1ft bluish textured gray waves from the SE against a mixed gray and white cloudy sky. We started the day with rain and 42 degrees. The rain stopped by 11am. It looks like we are topping out our afternoon temperatures around 52.
Apr 10: It was 42 this morning after a high of 50 yesterday. We have light gray overcast skies this mornning. There is a narrow dark gray band just beneath the blue and white cloudy horizon. Lake Superior is a montone gray with ripples coming from the SSE. I can now notice that buds are beginning to form on the balsam aspens.
Apr 9: Our low this morning was 45 and our temperature at noon is 46. The gray and almost foggy skies are keeping temperatures almost static today. Lake Superior disappears into white clouds and there is no horizon to see today. Lake Superior is a greenish blue that turns a brownish blue near the shore. There are 2ft waves from the SE. No rain so far today but we had bouts of rain during the night.
Apr 8: We have another overcast day with a bit of drizzle coming down at times. The sky is a darker gray today. Our low was 45 and we are at 47 at noon. Lake Superior has 3 distinct bands. There is a purplish blue band next to the fuzzy white horizon line. The is a greenish blue band in the center. There is a chocolate milk band near the shore from the rain runoff. The big lak has 2-3ft waves from the SE.
Apr 7: It rained off and on all night and all day today. Sometimes it rained hard, sometimes it paused, but most of the time it was jsut a light constant rain. We had 2-3ft bluish gray waves from the SE with no sun. Our high was 53 and our low 38.
Apr 6: We had quite the thunder and lightning storm last night. We watched the sky light up over the lake for most of the night from our bed. After a morning low of 38 we are at 46 at 11am. Today we have hazy blue skies, a hazy white horizon, and 1-2ft silver blue waves with dirty green shadows from the SE.
Apr 5: Our morning low was 39 and our high was 53. This was cold compared to the rest of Minnesota. Minneapolis had a high of 83 but it was nonetheless a beautiful day here with the lake keeping our temperatures subdued. It was a great day to be outside and almost no wind which made 53 feel warm.
Apr 4: It got to 66 yesterday and today it was a bit cooler at 53 degrees. Lake Superior had a cool breeze off of it this morning which prevented things from warming up as quickly. Skies were hazy this morning but clear blue this afternoon. Lake Superior was blue with small waves and navy shadows.
Apr 3: Yesterday we topped out at a comfortable 45 and dipped to 31 during the night. We are heating up quickly with blue skies and sun. We are already at 41 degrees at 9am. Lake Superior is blue with navy shadows and small 1ft waves on a textured surface from the south.
Apr 2: We started witha low of 27 today and are slowly warming up in spite of the wind off the lake. Lake Superior has 2-3ft blue waves with datk olive shadows coming in from the SSE. Skies are blue and sunny but with a haze that prevents the full power of the sun to get through.
Apr 1: Our morning low was 17 and our high today was 41. Plenty of blue skies eveywhere. Lake Superior was a blue green with small waves and a textured surface.
March 2021
Mar 31: Yesterday the waves continued to grow fanned by the strong winds. They were platinum gray by the afternoon and were 4-6ft in height by evening. This morning things had calmed down to 3ft waves still from the south and by noon this were down to 6" waves on a textured blue gray surface. Skies overhead are blue but a bit hazy. We were only 18 this morning and it has taken all day to climb to 36 degrees. The winds finally subsided this morning.
Mar 30: After a high of 47 yesterday afternoon we had a low of 36 this morning. Lake Superior's waves shifted from the SE to the south overnight and grew to 4ft. Lake Superior is a bluish green with a brownish green band near the shore from the large waves churning up the lake bed. There are strong winds whipping the tops of the trees. Overhead we have blue skies with high thin gray clouds. Temperatures are slow to rise today and we are currently at 37 degrees at 11am just 1 degree above our morning low.
Mar 29: I saw an ore freighter passing by during the night all lit up. This morning the conditions on Superior had really changed. We woke up to 2-3ft metallic gray waves pounding the rocks from the SE. The skies have a gray overcast that looks like it is breaking up. I suspect we will have clear blue skies by noon. Our morning low was 27 but we are already at 36 by 9am.
Mar 28: The snow started falling about 4pm yesterday. The roadways were too warm to accumulate snow but we has about 2-3" of accumulation on trees, grass, and steps. The snow ended around 11pm. We got down to 24 last night and the bright sun is working on getting us back up to freezing by noon. The sun is now so high in the sky that it has much more melting power that it did during the winter. There has been substanital melting in the bright sun this morning despite temperatures below freezing. The big lake is dark blue with blinding white reflections from the sun on a rippled surface with no discernable wave direction. You can see gust of wind move out across the surface. Overhead we have blue skies with a few small gray clouds.
Mar 27: This morning we have 1-2ft blue gray waves from the SE on Lake Superior. The horizon line across the lake is white but everywhere else the sky is a light gray overcast. The radar says it is snowing right now but so far there is not a flake to be found in Croftville. Our low this morning was 30 degrees.
Mar 26: Lake Superior has gray 2ft waves with olive shadows from the SE against a blue horizon line. It has been a light gray overcast all day with our temps ranging from a low of 28 and a high of 37.
Mar 25: We had a low of 23 and a high of 35 today. Much of the snow from yesterday has already melted. However, Lake Superior kept us cooler than the rest of the state today. We had some sun and we had a cold breeze off the lake.
Mar 24: What a strange day but a good reminder that spring is not yet a sure thing here in Cook County. We started the day with drizzle that turned into rain. Overnight we stayed above freezing along the shoreline. Temps started dropping around noon and around 3pm we saw the first snowflakes. By 6pm the snow was blowing pretty good and coming down pretty steady. All together we have about 1" of accumulated snow that didn't melt at 10pm with the temperature now at 26 degrees and a strong wind blowing outside. Lake Superior was a grayish green that disappeared into the horizon today.
Mar 23: We have a gray cloudy day. We were supposed to have rain starting last night but it still isn't here. It got to 52 yesterday, stayed above freezing overnight, but has only managed the low 40's today with the cloud cover. Gitche Gumi has 2-3ft greenish gray waves breaking on the rocks from the SE.
Mar 22: It was 32 this morning after a high of 49 yesterday. We are at 48 this afternoon with blue dotted with small cumulus clouds. Lake Superior has 2ft blue waves with navy shadows and silver highlights from the south.
Mar 21: Gitche Gumi has 2-3ft silver blue waves with olive green shadows from the south this morning. The air is still. There is a light haze in the air with some thin high clouds over the lake. Our low last night was 32 but we are already at 44 degrees at 10am which is warmer than our high from yesterday. Today is the first full day of spring. I am spooked a bit by getting some of our patio furniture out yesterday. That is the earliest date I have ever brough it out. Hopefully it will not be deluged with snow which is still a possibility for the rest of this month and all of April. Mar 20: It is a clear sky day but there is a little haze in the air. We were 24 this morning and it looks like we are topping out at 43. Lake Superior has dark grayish blue water with 2ft waves coming straight in from the SSE.
Mar 19: It was a gorgeous spring-like day here in Croftville. The sort of day you want to just goof around outside doing whatever little takes you feel like. Unfortunately, we had a heavy cleaning load. After starting with a chilly 24 we climbed to 48 in the afternoon. Lake Superior was a brilliant steel blue with small whitecaps from the SE.
Mar 18: It was a beautiful sunny day in Croftville with blue skies and a blue lake. Lake Superior had 2ft waves banging into the shore from the SE. We got up to 50 degrees today along the shore and our snow cover close to the lake is disappearing rapidly.
Mar 17: This morning Lake Superior has 1ft blue gray waves from the south on a rippled surface. After a high of 44 yesterday we had a low of 29 this morning. We are already at 42 at 10am. Skies overhead are cloudy with small patches of blue. It will be another good day to be outside.
Mar 16: The air is still this morning and the skies are a mixture of clouds, blue skies, and gray overcast over Lake Superior. The big lake has 1ft silver and gray wanves on a highly textured surface brushing straight into shore from the SSE. Our low at 29 was only a few dgrees below our high yesterday of 32. We are already to 36 this morning and gone is that very cold brisk wind off the lake.
Mar 15: Our low was 25 and temps are rising quickly this morning. Lake Superior has 3ft waves from the SE. They are a deep blue with small whitecaps. Close to shore there is a narrow blue green band that seem almost backlit by the rising sun. Lake Superior has a thin cloud cover near the horizon but everywhere else we have clear blue skies. Our snow cover along the shore is now virtually gone after some of our recent warm days. Snow remains in protected areas of the forest and on the north sides of buildings and rocks outcroppings. I hear there is still good snow cover up the Gunflint Trail. Beware of the Ides of March.
Mar 14: The low was only 28 last night but it just refuses to warm up today and are only at 32 degrees at 3pm. We have clear blue skies and the bright sun doing battle against a deep blackish blue lake with a cold wind coming off of it. They seem to be at a standstill with each other. Lake Superior has 1-2ft waves from the SE pounding the shore. As they break they are a translucent bluish green.
Mar 13: The lake was a deep blue today and in places almost black with 1-2ft waves. We had bright sun all day and the stars were so very crisp in the sky last night. The sun high in the sky as spring gets close took our temperatures from 24 this morning to 54 this afternoon. We shopped in Duluth and were almost uncomfortably warm without our coats and sweatshirts.
Mar 12: It was a cold night with 14 degrees and a relatively cold day only getting up to 30 today by the lake. The wind made it feel even colder. The sun poked out once in a while but on average it was a lightly overcast day.
Mar 11: Along the shore we ended up with only 1-2 inches of snow from the winter storm that passed through last night. However, just slightly inland there were bands of more than 8" of heavy wet snow. Our low this morning was 25 and we warmed up to 42 in spite of heavy cloud cover all morning. Across the lake there was a dark blackish blue band above the horizon in northern Wisconsin and the UP. There was sun in the afternoon and plenty of melting.
Mar 10: Our high today was 48 in the morning. Temps have slowly dropped and our low is 33 at 11pm. We had overcast gray skies all day with light rain starting around 5pm and changing to wet snow around 8pm. So far we have about 1-2 inches of wet slushy snow and I hope I can get by without shoveling much of it tomorrow. 40 degree days are to return starting tomorrow again. Any guesses how many inches of this backbreaking wet snow will be on the ground in the morning?
Mar 9: We hit 50 degrees yesterday afternoon and our overnight low was 30 early this morning. Temperatures are already at 39 degrees at 9am. We have 1ft blusih gray waves from the ESE this morning against a blue and white horizon line. Overhead the skies are a light gray overcast.
Mar 8: It actually warmed up overnight and was 36 degrees this morning and is now 43 at 10am. Skies are blue with just a couple high thin clouds over the lake. Lake Superior is a translucent blue with 1 ft waves from the south against a white horizon. It looks like it will be the warmest day of this year and plenty of sun.
Mar 7: That big deep blue Lake Superior is keeping us cooler than the rest of Minnesota today. Our temperature range was 23-38 degrees today when most of Minnesota was in the 50's and 60's. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful day to be outdoors enjoying the lake, some sun, and the high thin clouds. Lake Superior was roaring with 2-3ft waves from the south.
Mar 6: It feels like spring again today. Our low was a crisp 19 and a high of 35 today. Lake Superior is a deep blue with a textured surface and small waves coming straight in from the SSE. The horizon sky is a pale blue that turns sky blue overhead with a few cumulus cottonballs.
Mar 5: It felt like early spring today. Our low was 23 and all the puddles had frozen and the snow was hard and icy. You could feel the sun warming things up quickly to our high of 42 this afternoon. Melting was fierce in the sun that now sits noticable higher in the sky. Lake Superior was a deep blue against a pale blue horizon line.
Mar 4: It was 17 overnight and rose to 33 this afternoon. Skies were cloudy but the thin clouds did allow enough sunlight through to make shadows. Humidity was high so between the high humidity and wind the upper 20's felt quite cold today. Lake Superior was a bluish gray.
Mar 3: Traveled to Biwabik today for the sectional cross country ski meet. Our daughter did well in spite of rapidly changing ski conditions. When we arrived at 9am it was 26 degrees. When we departed at 2pm it was 41 degrees. The first race was classic skiing but by the time my daughter competed her wax had lost most of its kick for going uphill. She was able to double pole on the downhills which made up for some of the lost time. The second race was skate skiing and the top of the hills were getting quite slushy in the warm sun. Here in Grand Marais we began the day also at 26 degrees but the breeze off the lake kept us at a high of only 32.
Mar 2: Looking out at the lake we have a white horizon against a greenish dark blue lake with 4-5ft waves and whitecaps from the south. Except for the horizon everywhere else has dark cloudy skies. The wind is whipping the tops of the trees around. Our temperature was 12 degrees last night and creeped steadily up overnight with the change in the weather. We woke up to 26 degrees.
Mar 1: It got cold overnight with a low of 3. Temps are warming up nicely in the sun and we are at 12 degrees at noon. Lake Superior has 6" deep blue waves coming from the oblique direction of the SSW. The reflection of the sun off the lake is a blinding white. The horizon is a pale blue and the faint thin clouds near the horizon are the only clouds in the sky.
February 2021
Feb 28: We end February with an inch of fresh snow overnight and woke up to 24. So far this afternoon we are at 31 degrees with a fresh coat of white on everything. Lake Superior is a greenish gray with 1-2ft waves from the SE. Skies are cloudy. The lake horizon has a thin band of dark navy blue.
Feb 27: Warm temps continue by Lake Superior with a low of 34 this morning and we are already at 38 degrees before 10am. Skies are mostly cloudy with a thin cloud cover. Sun is still able to find its way through. Lake Superior has 2ft silver gray waves from the south this morning. The partial sun reflecting off the surface is blinding.
Feb 26: Our low was 28 and our high an amazing 41 degrees even with mostly cloudy skies. The waves on the big lake continues to grow throughout the night and into today. We currently have 3-5ft transluscent aqua blue waves pounding the shore from the south. The big waves and the warm temps have stripped most of the ice off of the rocks on the shore.
Feb 25: The temperature range next to Lake Superior was 18 to 39 today. There was plenty of sun in the morning and overcast skies and snow flurries in the afternoon. The lake was calm this morning worked up into 2-3ft waves later in the afternoon. I can hear the lake now from the office and it sounds like the waves are still building.
Feb 24: It was 30 overnight and with clear blue skies we are in the upper 30's this afternoon. Lake Superior has a smooth rippled surface with small waves from the SE against a white horizon. The air is still.
Feb 23: With 45 degrees today we are at the warmest temperature since the new year. Overnight was impressively warm as well with a low of 36 degrees. It had that feel of spring in the air that made you want to get outside and do things. Skies were partly cloudy with high thin clouds. We have 1ft silver waves from the south and a sun that feels warm on your face.
Feb 22: Lake Superior was calm and smooth eraly this morning and then became choppy in the afternoon with 1-2ft steel blue waves. Our low was 27 degrees and our high a remarkable 39 degrees. Today it was Lake Superior keeping us colder than the surrounding areas in Minnesota that were all in the 40's. Skies were cloudy this morning after an overnigth dusting of snow and were clear blue this afternoon.
Feb 21: It felt like a normal later February day today along Croftville Road. Our low was 13 and our high was 30 degrees. There was plenty of sun early in the day and being now 2 months after the solstice it sits higher in the sky. Even with 30 degrees there was plenty of melting taking place on rocks, gravel, and asphalt in the bright sun. Later in the day we saw some light snow coming down again. It will be interesting to see if there is any accumulation by morning. Lake Superior was a calm deep blue today except for the blinding relfections of the sun off the surface.
Feb 20: Superior was calm and silent last night which made it hard to sleep. This morning I could see some ice cubes on the blue surface with that distinctive rough texture. Waves picked up to 1-2ft waves from the south by noon and we can now see some ice floes driven by the waves coming towards our shore. The sun is reflecting their surface to be blinding white. Overhead we have partly cloudy skies. The low this morning was 8 and we are at 22 degrees at noon.
Feb 19: The low was 12 and the high 26 today. Lake Superior was mostly calm with a pael blue surface against a pale blue sky. We had a brief lake effect snowstorm during the night that dropped a dusting of snow and another one this afternoon for a total accumulation of about 1/2".
Feb 18: We woke up to a surprise snowstorm here in Grand Marais this morning. By the time it quit we had 4" of fresh fluffy snow. Our morning low was 12 and our high was 25. Visibility on the lake was limited from the snow and even after it had quite the skies were overcast and looked like they could break out with more snow. I spent most of the day up at Pincushion Mountain helping with a high school cross country ski meet. It was so much fun in spite of all the protocols put in place to protect the athletes from the pandemic. The high up on Pincushion was only 16 degrees but the temperature was comfortable. The fresh snow really slowed the pace even though the groomers did their best to pack the snow right before competition.
Feb 17: We stayed above zero for the first night in a couple weeks with 3 degrees this morning and a high of 22 this afternoon. I could see what looked like small ice chunks on the lake this morning but they were quickly reabsorbed with the small 1ft waves from the south. Lake Superior was again a deep sky blue against a pale blue sunny sky. There were isolated clouds passing over the lake but gone was the dark cloud mass from staem rising off the surface.
Feb 16: We had small sheets of thin ice visible on Lake Superior this morning. They didn't last long as soon as the 1-2ft waves from the south began. The lake is a brilliant deep blue today against the clear light sky blue and sunny sky. The grip of this cold arctic air loosened today as we climbed from 4 below this morning to 21 above at 3pm. The warmer temps feel so good and we are ready to get out on the ski trails.
Feb 15: The cold grip on Minnesota continued today with a low of 12 below and then up to 9 above and then dropping cack down below zero as soon as the sun began going down. It is not surprising with an unfrozen lake for temps to rise to 9 above in the bright sun and clear blue skies today. What was surprising was to see how quickly temperatures plummeted as soon as the sun got low in the sky. We traveled to Duluth today. We saw some sheets of ice near Schroeder off the shore a ways. Lake Superior had mostly solid ice from Knife River to Duluth. There were even some foolish souls out ice fishing near the Lester River as we were coming into Duluth..
Feb 14: Happy Valentines Day! 26 year anniversary today for my wife and I. It is cold out there. Here next to the unfrozen lake we had a low of 15 below and a high of 1 above. Lake Superior was a silver blue, mostly calm, and had steam rising once again into that large dark cloud mass over the center of the lake. Skies overhead were again blue evrywhere except over Superior.
Feb 13: The bitter cold continues with 12 below this morning and a high of 6 above this afternoon. 6 degrees and sun felt quite pleasant for short bursts but proved quite cold for lengthy times outside. Lake Superior had small waves on its dark blue surface and the steam rising off the lake stopped for the afternoon but than started up again when temperatures dropped.
Feb 12: Our morning low was 8 below this morning and our high was a surprising 8 above with the sunny blue skies. Lake Superior was mostly calm and a light silver blue with the "sea smoke" rising in the morning into the dark cloud mass over the center of Lake Superior.
Feb 11: It was 11 below once again and we had a high of 6 this afternoon. For some reason it felt colder today. Perhaps it was the lightly overcast skies and lesss direct sun. Perhaps it was the brisk breeze today. Lake Superior was mostly calm and a grayish blue today. There was a texture in the water that may be ice cubes forming.
Feb 10: It was 11 below this morning and then rose to 8 degrees this afternoon. This probably was the warmest temperature we will see all through the weekend as they tell a new batch of arctic air is on the way. Skies were a deep blue and clear today with plenty of sun. The exception was over Lake Superior but the cloud mass did dissipate considerably over the afternoon. The aire was still today and we had 1-2ft silver blue waves out on Lake Superior.
Feb 9: The combination cold air and low percentage of fill on our propane tank left us with inadequate gas pressure to run the gas stoves in the upper 2 floors of our inn this morning. Luckily, those rentals were empty, the propane truck arrivwed this morning, I relit the stoves, and those suites are toasty warm for our guests arriving today. It was once again 15 below this morning near the unfrozen Lake Superior. Our afternoon high peaked out at 7 above before starting its descent. There are some high clouds to the west and the dark cloud mass over Superior. The rest of the skies were clear blue. We have 3ft silver waves with aqua shadows from the south this afternoon.
Feb 8: At 15 below this was our coldest night next to Lake Superior this winter. Lake Superior has 1-2ft silver blue waves from the south this morning. The sun is reflecting off the surface but is partially obscured by the rising steam into the large cloud over the lake. Everywhere else we have clear light sky blue skies. The sunlight hitting the snow makes our snow cover a brilliant white.
Feb 7: Our high yesterday was 6 degrees and our low this morning was 13 below. Our high this afternoon was 3 above. 13 below is the coldest temp I can remember next to an unfrozen Lake Superior. Granted we have seen much colder temperaures than this after the big lake has ice on it but it takes really cold air to get temps that cold next to an infrozen Lake Superior. Once again we have beautiful although frigid blue skies everywhere except for the dark cloudmass assembling over the lake from the steam rising off its surface. There were 1-2ft blue waves from the SSE breaking against the shore. There is now a thick coating of ice on the rocks next to the water.
Feb 6: Temps dropped to 4 below this morning beside an unfrozen Lake Superior. We have frigid crisp blue skies everywhere except over the middle of the lake. The dark cloud mass over the lake is being fed by the steam rising off of the surface. There are 203ft blue waves with whitecaps on the lake from the south. The air is still but you can see movement in the tops of the tall trees.
Feb 5: We got a little more snow plus a lot of blowing snow last night which meant more shoveling today. Temps dropped down to 5 degrees this morning, rose up to 9 degrees by early afternoon and now has been dropping since then. It is 5 degrees by the lake at 9pm and is expected to drop below zero for the next few days. We had mixed skies today and small waves on Lake Superior.
Feb 4: We woke up to 30 degrees this morning with snow just beginning to fall. Snow fell slowly all day long and stopped around 4pm. In all, we had about 3" accumulation down here in Croftville. The temperature hovered between 30-35 degrees all day. When the snow quit around 4pm, the temperatures began to drop quickly. At 8pm we are at 17 degrees and falling. The lake had 1-2ft dark blue waves today coming straight in from the SSE against a dark blue gray sky with moist snow coming down.
Feb 3: Temperature-wise it is a repeat of yesterday. Our low was 26 after a high of 31. Overhead we have gray cloud cover with some blue sky finding its way through. The horizon line is sky blue across the lake. Lake Superior is silver gray with 1-2ft waves with a change in direction from the south. There are patches of sunlight hitting the lake surface lighting it up like a spotlight on stage.
Feb 2: Our low next to Superior was 26 this morning and that is where the temperature seems to be staying. We have gray overcast skies above us with heavy cloud cover over the lake. The horizon across the lake is a dark, dark blue once again suggesting that those south of us have less favorable weather than us. The air is still. The lake is calm and gray with ripples from the SE.
Feb 1: It is a mild day with a 28 degree low and 31 degrees here along the lake at noon. We can see blue sky through the high thin clouds but we are getting little direct sunlight. The big waves of the weekend have dissipated and by noon we have a flat blusih gray lake with a textured surface. The horizon line is a dark dark blue making me wonder what is happening in northern Wisconsin and the UP. We can see sun reflecting off the lake in spots where the sun found holes in the high clouds.
January 2021
Jan 31: We end January with 3-4ft blue gray waves from the SE crashing into our rocks. The air is warm after an overnight low of 29 and a high of 34. Skies are a gray overcast.
Jan 30: The waves really picked up overnight. We woke up to 3-4ft waves from the SE this morning. By late afternoon I would say they were 4-5ft. The surface was a uniform gray to go with the gray overcast skies. Snow started as flurries this morning and continued to snow all day but only picked up about 1" of accumulation. This was difficult to gauge because of the stron winds from the SE off the lake. It was 21 when I got up and temperatures have slowly risen all day topping out at 31 degrees.
Jan 29: What a change a day can make. We bottomed out at 7 above last night before temperatures started climbing. We were up to 17 this morning when I woke up. The clear blue skies have been replaced by a gray overcast everywhere except on the southrn horizon across the lake which is white. The lake is a dark blue gray with blusih green shadows and 2ft waves from the SE.
Jan 28: It was 7 below again this morning by the lake and it climbed to 19 degrees by midafternoon before plummeting once again. Lake Superior was blue with 6"-1ft roller waves from the SE. We could once again see the little whirlwinds of steam rising off the surface this morning. After 3 still days and very cold temperatures, I saw for a short time this afternoon what looked like ice cubes reflecting sunlight off the surface of Lake Superior. It has a very distinctive textured surface. If it was ice, then Lake Superior is getting close to a water temperature of 32 near the surface. I should know in a couple days whether what I think I saw was real or not.
Jan 27: We have clear blue skies overhead with lots of bright sun. The air is still but I can see movement up in the tree tops. Lake Superior has 6"-1ft small roller waves from the SE on a smooth blue surface. Wisps of steam are rising in little mini whirlwinds off the surface. We know what that means, it is cold outside. The steam is forming a large cloud mass over the big lake. We had 7 below this morning close to the shore which is very cold with an unfrozen lake next to you. We are at 1 below at 10am and don't expect to get out of the single digits today in spite of the brigth sun.
Jan 26: We managed a high of 21 briefly after a morning low of 3. Temps quickly dropped again in the mid afternoon. Lake Superior was blue with a textured surface and only small waves. The sky had plenty of sun between the banks of clouds passing by.
Jan 25: After a high of 26 yesterday we dropped down to 1 above this morning. The bright blue clear skies has the sun warming us up quickly and we are at 15 degrees at noon. Lake Superior have a navy blue rippled surface with no discernable wave direction. The sun feels warm against your face and more than compensates for the cold breeze/
Jan 24: We got 2" of fresh snow snow last night. I am glad to see that because now I can go CC skiing without the snow being so icy. I am sad to see that because now we have to go out and shovel. Our low was 20 degrees last night. Today we have 2ft greenish gray waves from the south. The horizon is a dark midnight blue across the lake. Skies elsewhere are cloudy with touches of blue coming through.
Jan 23: It gradually warmed up overnight and we woke up to 21 degrees this morning. The high this afternoon was 24. Skies were gray overcast all day long with light snow and flurries coming down on and off during the day. Lake Superior is a dark steel blue with 2-3ft waves from the south. The horizon is almost white.
Jan 22: We got to 1 below zero early this morning. That is our first below zero temperature down by the lake for 2021. We have high clouds overhead today against blue sunny skies. Temps are warming into the teens this afternoon. Over the calm lake with a textured blue surface we have little steam wisps rising off the surface into a large dark cloud mass that is forming over the lake. This is a typical occurence over the lake during below zero tempertaures.
Jan 21: We woke up to 33 this morning and it got to 35 around 9am. After that, the temperature has steadily declined all day with 7 degrees now at 9pm. The wind was fierce today. The waves on the big lake were 4-5ft from the south. We had a series of biref sno bursts this morning. Accumulation was barely measurable but when it was coming down visibility was nearly zero. In between those bursts we were able to see some blue skies.
Jan 20: All the way down to 1 above this morning by the lake. The clear skies and stars of last night has been replaced with gray ovecast this morning. The still air and the waveless lake surface has beeen replaced with stron winds and 3-4ft waves from the SSE pounding into the rocks on our shore. There are snow flurries this morning and temperatures are rising quickly.
Jan 19: It was 6 degrees this morning by Lake Superior. I think that is the first single digit temperature we have seen in all of January. Our temperature yesterday topped out at 24 degrees before starting the long slow descent in the afternoon. It looks like our high today will be 10 degrees. Lake Superior is a light blue with silver highlights on a rippled surface. We have clear light blue skies except over the lake that has formed a cloudbank no doubt as a response to the cold air over the relatively warm body of water. The horizon line across the lake is a dark navy making me wonder what is happening weather-wise in the UP.
Jan 18: There was a dusting of snow this morning with our 21 degree low. Lake Superior was calm this morning and now has a blue with navy shadows textured surface but with no discernable wave propagation direction. Skies are partly cloudy with a mixture of high and low clouds.
Jan 17: We have more seasonal temperatures today with a low of 15 and so far we have 24 at noon. The skies cleared up this morning and it is so good to see blue skies, sun, and crisp shadows. Lake Superior is sky blue with navy shadows and 1ft waves from the SE. There is a low hanging cloudbank across the lake with a dark navy band just above the horizon. It is a great afternoon to get out on the cross country skis, I hope after all the warm weather that the trails are not too icy.
Jan 16: After a high of 43 yesterday things finally cooled down to below freezing overnight with a low of 23. Today the lake has 1-2ft greenish gray waves from the SE against a dark navy horizon. Overhead we have gray overcast skies. The air is still and our high should get close to freezing.
Jan 15: Our low last night was 37 degrees. Snow cover down by Superior has definately decreased with these sustained warm temperatures. Today we have 2ft waves from the SE on the big lake. After 2 days of large waves the lake has 2 bands of color. Close to the shore we have a band of chocolate colored water from the churned up lake bed. Further out we have a blue band with green shadows. The skies today are again a gray overcast except across the lake where they are a dark navy in color in northern Wisconsin. The snow storm never materialized.
Jan 14: It was 43 degrees for a high today by the lake and our overnight low never made it down to freezing. The predicted snow storm tracked just a little further south. As a result we saw no snow (or with these temperatures rain) at all in the Grand Marais area. Lake Superior has 3-4ft gray waves from the SE against a gray overcast sky. Across the lake the skies are much darker. Jan 13: Another day of gray overcast skies. Last night the waves picked up to 3-4ft from the south. This morning they have calmed down to 2ft. We are at 23 this morning with a light breeze outside. Today we travel to Duluth got our montly shopping trip before a snow storm is supposed to hit us tomorrow. It has been more than a month since we have left Grand Marais and we are a bit stir crazy.
Jan 12: The warmest January I can remember continues with a high of 33 and a low of 28 today here in Croftville. I have said this probably several times this winter but it is worth saying again. Most of our cold weather and snow was in October. Ever since the beginning of November winter has been so mild. We almost didn't have a white christmas here next to Lake Superior. Today was a gray overcast. Lake Superior had small gray waves from the SSE.
Jan 11: Our low was 17 and our high 35 here by the big lake as this amazing mild (warm) weather continues through January. Skies were a gray overcast today with grayish green 2-3ft waves that built up this afternoon after a still lake this morning.
Jan 10: We have 1ft blue roller waves from the south with a textured lake surface today. The air is still with blue skies overhead. The morning low was 14 after a high yesterday topping out at 33 degrees.
Jan 9: Once again our low dipped to 19 after a high of 38 yesterday. And once again temps are warming up quickly as we are at 32 at 11am. Last night the waves were poinding the shore but this morning the lake is calm with only ripples on the silver surface. Overhead we have a cloudy light gray overcast. The lake horizon is a dark navy suggesting poorer weather to our south. The air is completely still today.
Jan 8: Another clear night with stars dropped the temperature to 19 after a high yesterday of 38. Today things are warming up quickly again with 33 degrees at noon. Skies are clear blue today with a few stringy thin clouds over the lake. Lake Superior has 1ft blue waves with navy shadows from the south with a highly textured surface. The lake was calm last night making it hard to get to sleep.
Jan 7: I looked out at the lake during the night and I could see stars and a crescent moon from my bed. There has not been much clear weather lately so that was fun. It also meant that temperatures should drop with clear skies and they did a bit with an overnight low of 24. Today, white cloudy skies have returned. Temperatures should get up to around freezing. Lake Superior is gray with 1ft waves from the SE. The sky is lighter on the south side of the lake, maybe even sun in northern Wisconsin.
Jan 6: It is 10pm and still 33 degrees with a dusting of snow falling. Our low was 30 and our high was 39 with white overcast skies today. Again Lake Superior has 2-3ft busih green waves from the south. I went CC skiing this afternoon and was disappointed that it was still 34 degrees up on top of the hill. The snow was damp and clumped on my old waxless skis everywhere except were the trails were well packed. I don't mind a mild winter but it would be nice if it would stay below freezing to protect our snow conditions.
Jan 5: Our low temp had us dropping below freezing to 24 this morning but it didn't take long for the air to jump above freezing with a high of 37 this afternoon. Skies are mostly sunny witha few high clouds. Lake Superior was a blue with 2-3ft waves still from the south. This mild (warm) weather continues here in January. So far our coldest month this winter was October and that wasn't even winter yet.
Jan 4: It is almost identical conditions as yesterday with a low overnight of only 31 degrees and with 33 degrees at noon. We have 3ft green waves from the south banging against the shore. The horizon and sky are a very light gray overcast. We've waited so long this CC ski season for good to excellent ski conditions, I sure hope we don't begin losing any of our snow.
Jan 3: We have 2-3ft aqua green waves from the south today crashing into the rocks on the shore. It is almost balmy outside with 33 degrees. The sky is a white overcast but is very bright and almost blinding in the direction of the sun. Hard to believe that this kind of weather almost seems normal this winter as opposed to it being a rare January thaw.
Jan 2: Lake Superior has 2-3ft bluish gray waves from the south today. Skies are cloudy with isolated spots where the sun can alsmot make it through. The mornign low was 14 and the afternoon high was 29.
Jan 1: The new year starts with mild weather here in Croftville. Our low was only 21 by the lake and we are already to 27 at noon. The gray clouds and overcast will propbably keep the upper 20's as our high today. Gitche Gumi has 1-2ft greenish gray waves from the south. There is a narrow band of navy blue near the horizon line against a gray sky. We are heading out to Pincushion Mountain to do take advantage of some cross country skiing. I am thinking of and missing my dad today who was the 1929 New Year's baby in Racine, Wisconsin.