Four Season Cottages and Vacation Suites
On the Shore of Lake Superior
Grand Marais, Minnesota
December 2024
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November 2024
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October 2024
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September 2024
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August 2024
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July 2024
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June 2024
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May 2024
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May 14: After a high of only 53 yesterday we dropped to 41 this morning. We have clear blue skies turning into a white lake horizon. Gitche Gumee has 6" waves from the SE with a highly textured surface and navy shadows.
May 13: Thank goodness the smoke from British Columbia is gone today. I pray it is not a portent of what is to come for this summer. Our low was 44 and we are slowly warming up with 50 degrees at noon. The sly is a pale blue turning to white at the horizon. Lake Superior has 1ft blue waves with navy shadows from the south. Although the gooseberries are the only plant leafed out, the buds on the trees are getting larger and greener each day.
May 12: It was 86 when we left Saint Paul at noon today. As we traveled north we left the world of green trees and blossoms and entered the world of trees just budding. As we passed Hinckley we began to see smoke from the British Columbia wildfires. By the time we got to Duluth we could nnot even see Lake Superior as we went over Thompson Hill. The smoke stayed with us all the way up the shore to Grand Marais but was the worst along with the smell in Duluth. The high was 75 down by the shore in Croftville today.
May 11: We spent today in SE Minnesota picking Cecelia Rose up from Hamline and celebrating Mother's Day and my mom's 90th birthday. It was a gorgeous day with the trees all leafed out and the tractor in the fields everywhere we drove. It was funny to see lilacs in full bloom compared to our liliac at Croftville Road Cottages not being in full bloom until July 4th.
May 10: We have a white sky above the horizon line that morphs into a pale blue clear sky as we pan upwards. The horizon line itself has an optical illusion of 2 narrow navy blue horizontal lines just above the blue lake. Lake Superior has small waves on a textured surface from the south. Our low this morning was 36 but I didn't see any frost. Our high yesterday was 59 but it did not feel that warm.
May 9: After a high of 59 yesterday by the lake we woke up to 43 and sun this morning. We have clear light blue skies and blinding reflections from the rising sun. The air is still. Lake Superior has 1ft metallic blue waves from the SE with navy shadows and white highlights.
May 8: Our low this morning is 44. Lake Superior has 1-2ft bluish gray waves from the SE with copper shadows. There is a swirling breeze. Skies are mostly cloudy but with thin clouds that allow enough sun through to form shadows. It will be interesting to see if the sun burns these thin clouds off or if they will instead thicken and give us light rain like we had in the early evening yesterday.
May 7: The morning was beautiful and sunny except for the bluish black skies to the south and west of us. We watched as those black skies seemed to ebb and flow closer and then further away from Grand Marais. Finally in the early afternoon those black skies arrived and with it the strongest rainfall I have seen this spring. It was coming down in sheets at times. Eventually it turned into a light on and off rain for the remainder of the day. Our high was 61.
May 6: After a sunny afternoon with a high of 60 yesterday we dropped down to 40 degrees this morning along the shore. Lake Superior is a pale blue this morning with a smooth surface and only ripples from the SSE. Skies are clear and a pale blue with a slightly purple tint.
May 5: We woke up to blue skies with a few small cumulus clouds. Lake Superior was calm early this morning but the sun has been adding energy to it and we now have 1ft blue textured waves with green shadows from the south. The air is still here next to the lake. Out low was 36 but frost was still visible on all 3 cottage rooves. We are currently at 45 degrees and climbing. It should be a great day to be outside in the great northwoods.
May 4: We begin the day with gray overcast skies and light rain that began overnight and is continuing this morning. We are at 48 degrees at 11am. There is a gentle breeze. The horizon line is indistinct. Lake Superior has 1-2ft monochrome silver gray waves from the SSE.
May 3: The morning was mist, overcast, and fog. We could not even see the lake horizon. We began with a low of 36 and then everything changed in the afternoon. The sun burned off the fog and we had blue cloudy skies. Temps rose in the late afternoon all the way to 60. (I think that may have been our first 60 degree mark for the spring.) Lake Superior was blue with 1-2ft waves from the SE.
May 2: Our low 36, our high was 51. Lake Superior had 1-2ft bluish gray waves. Skies were overcast here in Croftville.
May 1: Happy May Day. My son told me it is also "United States Loyalty Day" which was started by President Eisenhower in 1958 as a response to the red scare. Funny, Loyalty Day has been in existence for my entire 64 years and today was the first time I had ever heard of it. The morning had light rain, mist, and overcast skies. Our low was a warm 43 overnight and our high was 52. The mist and rain subsided enough in the early afternoon to get up on the roof of a cabin to make a temporary repair but then the light rain came back. Lake Superior had gray 2ft waves.
April 2024
Apr 30: April ends with a light gray overcast sky against a blue gray lake with 1ft waves from the south. There are spots in the sky that are lighter at least hinting at the possibility of sun this afternoon if the overcast burns off. Our low this morning was 36 and we are at 43 at 10am.
Apr 29: We got some light rain during the night and the gray overcast skies look like rain this morning. The winds have subsided but the 3ft waves were maintained through the night. Our low this morning is 36. The waves churned up Lake Superior's bed during the night leaving the lake a chocolate brown close to shore and a beautiful grayish blue further out.
Apr 28: It was a day that we could not tell what was going to happen weather-wise. There were times that the black clouds to the south were on their way to envelope us. There were times it looked like the heavily clouded skies were going to break open and let the sun through. The result was that we never did get any sun and the black clouds with rain never arrived. Lake Superior's waves grew to 3-4ft in the afternoon. The lake was a bluish gray and the noise was thunderous. The wind had powerful gusts whipping the treetops. Our low was 35 and our high was 50.
Apr 27: Rain persisted through the night and into today. Our low was 35 this morning and we are topping out at 511 this afternoon. Rain is heavy at times but there are periods of break in the rain. Skies are cloudy and a gray overcast. Lake Superior is grayish blue with 1-2ft roller waves from the SE.
Apr 26: We watched an orange almost full moon rise over the SE lake horizon around 10pm last night. Our low was 29 this morning but our high made it to 52 by the late afternoon even though there was a cold wind from the west. Lake Superior has 1-2ft deep blue waves from the SE with navy shadows while the sun was out. The lake turned gray as skies began to overcast later in the day and light rain and mist began around 7pm. We sat by a fire and enjoyed the sound of the lake from our covered porch.
Apr 25: I didn't think we would get here but we topped out at 52 degrees down here next to the shore in Croftville. It was so cold this morning, only 28 degrees and heavy frost on our rooves. However, the sun eventually beat the cold air mass and we finally got into the 50;s about 5pm. Skies a clear blue. We have a deep blue lake with 1-2ft waves and navy shadows further out but brown shadows closer to shore for the first 200 yards.
Apr 24: We had clear skies and a full moon last night that lit up the lake as it reflected off the surface. This morning we are at 32 at 8am after a nighttime low of 28. The sun is warming things up quickly and melting the frost off the rooves. Lake Superior has 2ft deep blue waves from the SE with brown shadows near the shore. Once again we have an ore freighter in front of Croftville heading towards Duluth. It is pretty far out judging by its size and the closeness to the horizon line, perhaps 10 miles or more.
Apr 23: It rained during the early evening but by early morning we had a clear sky that we could see the nearly full moon and an ore freight all lit up. Our low was 32 this morning and our high was 50. Skies were mixed with mostly cloudy skies for most of the day. Lake Superior had 2ft deep blue waves from the SE and we saw 2 large freighter pass by Croftville on their way towards Thunder Bay.
Apr 22: Our low was once again 32 but our high jumped to 57 today. Plenty of sun but also a cold wind that required you to be moving outside to be comfortable. The big lake had 2-3ft blue waves from the south.
Apr 21: The skies cleared up yesterday afternoon with lots of sun and warmed us up to a surprising 50 degrees. Overnight we dropped back to 32 but are quickly warming up with hazy blue clear skies. Gitche Gumi has 2-3ft silver blue roller waves with a highly textured surface that almost looks like ice cubes floating on top of the water.
Apr 20: It is 32 this morning in Croftville. Skies are heavily clouded and the air is still. Lake Superior has 1-2ft blue gray waves from the south. There is a narrow dark navy band on the lake right below the lake horizon. Without any prospect for sun, it lookes like we will stay in the low 40's today.
Apr 19: We woke up to 36 degrees and snow flurries this morning. With overcast and cloudy skies we only managed a high of 43 and now are back to 38 at 8pm. Lake Superior had 2-3ft dark bluish gray waves from the south pounding our shores today. The cold temps combined with the wind mad it an uncomfortable day outside.
Apr 18: It was a partly sunny, partly cloudy day today along Lake Superior. It was warm in the sun but cold in the shade with a chilly wind. Lake Superior had 2ft blue waves from the south. Tonight temps are dropping off and the skies are clouding up. We are now down to 43 at 9pm with the moon breaking through the clouds at times.
Apr 17: Today we returned to an overcast Lake Superior. The lake had a gray surface against the gray sky as we traveled up the shore just before sunset.
Apr 16: What a difference a night can make. Last night we were sitting by a fire in the backyard in Stewartville enjoying aa warm spring evening. This morning we have high winds whipping the treetops and a dark gray overcast sky. Rain is expected to begin soon as the temperatures plummeted over night. It will be a good day for staying inside and visiting with family. We will be turning our sights bacl towards Grand Marais and Lake Superior tomorrow.
Apr 15: SE Minnesota is in full time planting season in the fields. I could smell the chemicals and fertilizers being applied to the fields for planting. It was supposed to be colder today but it was again in the 80's in Albert Lea this afternoon. I already miss the cool breezes of Lake Superior. However, maybe in our honor, southern Minnsota is predicting high winds, rain, and highs in the 50's over the next few days.
Apr 14: We arrived to the twin cities yesterday afternoon with 86 degrees in Saint Paul. What a change from the North Shore of Lake Superior. Today our high in Prior Lake was 74 with sunny blue skies. Many more birds calling here but they are coming our way and I look forward to hearing their arrival in Cook County.
Apr 13: We leave Grand Marais this morning for 5 days in SE Minnesota to visit family. Lake Superior is a pale blue with ripples from the south on a smooth surface. There is a narrow dark band on the water just below the horizon line. Skies are blue with a few thin clouds. There was a spectacular sunrise in the east. We are already at 44 this morning at 8am after a morning low of 36. It should be a warm spring day.
Apr 12: Our low was a warm 44 and we had a high of 58 today. Blue skies, a few thin clouds, and lots of sunshine. Lake Superior had 1ft roller waves from the SSW on a textured dark blue surface with silver highlights. The wind was strong today. We watched a tugboat towing a barge up the shore today. That was an unusual sight to see out in the open water.
Apr 11: The day started with a calm and flat pale blue gray Lake Superior with hazy blue skies. Even though our low was 36 there was still frost on the rooves. As the day progresses the winds really picked up and our high by late afternoon was 51. However, with the wind came overcast skies and then thunderheads. We had sprinkles and light rain occasionally through the afternoon. We drove up to Thunder Bay to celebrate our son's birthday and it rained the whole time from Grand Portage on.
Apr 10: Lake Superior was completely still this morning and only had ripples on it later in the afternoon. The surface was a pale blue. The sky sometimes had light rain, sometimes was overcast, and sometimes had some sun poking through the clouds. Our low this morning was 34 and our high was 51 late in the afternoon when some sun spiked the temperatures.
Apr 9: It was overcast all day long with light rain or mist most of the morning and a little mist during the afternoon. Lake Superior had 1-2ft bluish gray waves coming straight in from the SSE. Our temperature range was 39 to 46. Near sunset we could see clearing skies to the SW.
Apr 8: Wow, we had a steady rain through the night and through this morning with intermittent rain through the afternoon. Because of the heavily overcast skies, the 75% eclipse this afternoon in Grand Marais was a non-event. Our low this morning was 41 and our high this afternoon was 42. The rain served as a temperature buffer. Lake Superior had Lake Superior had 2ft brownish gray waves from the SE and gusty winds pelting you with rain.
Apr 7: It was a beautiful but windy Sunday. Lake Superior had 2-4ft waves from the SE. There were 2 horizontal bands, a brownish band close to the shore and a bright blue band further out. Our low this morning was 35 and we topped out at 51.
Apr 6: It was a low of 29 and a high of 49 down here along the lake. A stunningly beautiful day we 2ft blue waves with navy shadows and silver blue highlights from the SE. Skies overhead are a deep sky blue and there was a cold wind blowing off the lake.
Apr 5: It was a beautiful spring day along Lake Superior in Croftville. We had 1-2ft blue waves with navy shadows and silver highlights from the south. Skies were blue with a crisp white lake horizon, Our low was 34 and our high was 49.
Apr 4: With an overnight low of 34 we slowly warmed up to an amazing 50 degrees outside today in spite of partly cloudy skies and some very dark clouds to the south and west. I hope many people had the gift of spending a very spring-like feeling day outside. We saw several freighters pass by during the day and night probably because of the poorer weather conditions on the south side of Lake Superior. We had 2-3ft gray waves from the south today.
Apr 3:We dropped briefly to 33 overnight but most of the night and today resided in the low 40's. We could see blackish blue skies across the lake. Wisconsin and the UP are getting clobbered with lake effect snow. The winds are powerful today and made our garbage and recycling bins look like a modern art sculpture after tossing them about. Lake Superior was mostly gray with greenish dark shadows and 2-3ft roller wves from the SE. We could see the gusts of wind as they passed over the lake surface and actually helped keep the waves subdued along our shore.
Apr 2: Lake Superior had 2-3ft waves from the SE today as wind began to add energy to the lake. Overcast skies burned off in the morning to give us blue skies, sun, and a blue lake in the afternoon. Our low was 29 and our high 42. However, it is still a warm night with 41 degrees at 9pm hear alongside the big lake.
Apr 1: Skies cleared yesterday afternoon for a beautiful Easter Sunday and a bright blue Lake Superior. Temps rose all the way to 45 with the sun out in full force. This morning we have a low of 28 and still air. Lake Superior has 1-2ft gray waves with blue green shadows from the SE. Skies are a mix of clouds and light gray overcast.
March 2024
Mar 31: Happy Easter morning. Our low overnight was 34 degrees. The air is still and Lake Superior has small oblique waves from the SSW on its monotone gray surface. The skies to the south are dark clouds and the lake horizon is almost black. Overhead and to the north the skies are a heavy white overcast. Through the dark clouds a few glimmers of sun rays reflect off the gray lake surface.
Mar 30:Our temperatures ranged from 32 to 42 degrees today. After an inch of light fluffy snow during the night, Lake Superior had 2-3ft bluish gray waves. Skies are a gray overcast with patches of sun showing up occasionally. Our snow continues to melt but except for the rooves and roadways, most places are still snow covered.
Mar 29: We have a gray lake with small waves from the south today. Skies are a hazy blue but the sun is out melting our snow. We started the day at 18 but quickly got up to freezing. Right now we have 33 degrees, wet roads, and the sound of water dripping off the rooves.
Mar 28: Today ended a week of turmoil around our dependable little Escape. We were able to pick it up in Duluth today with a new fuel pump module and with a sense of dependability that we have gotten used to with this vehicle for the last 3 years. However, I could not get back in time for Maundy Thursday and the stripping of the altar. Our low was 20 and our high 36. The sun was warm. It burned off a few small white clouds this morning and the clear blue skies, the reflections off Lake Superior, and the reflections off the snow made it a very, very bright day. We watched several ore freights leaving and heading out from the Duluth harbor.
Mar 27: We had a morning low of 17 and our afternoon high is 28. Except for occasional and very brief snow squalls, the snow has ended. Skies are an overcast white. Lake Superior has 3-4ft blue green waves from the south with impressive white caps as they break near the shore.
Mar 26: Well, it sleeted during the night, snowed lightly during the morning, and then snowed heavily during the afternoon. We had strong winds whipping the tops of the trees. Lake Superior was gray with limited visibility and 2-4ft waves. Our high today was in the morning with 31 degrees and it has been dropping slowly ever since. It is now 21 degrees at 11pm.
Mar 25: Our morning low was 27 and our high today was 34. The snow began about 11am yesterday and has continued on and off ever since. By evening we had about a half inch accumulation. By morning we had about 3 inches. At 11pm we have about 5-6 inches accumulation total of wet snow down next to the lake in Croftville. I have heard that up on the hill they have had twice that. Lake Superior had a band of brownish water this morning close to shore and greenish blue water further out with 2-3ft waves.
Mar 24: Our low this morning is 27. Our skies turned to gray overcast during the night. Lake Superior has 1-2ft grayish green waves coming straight in from the SSE. The weather reports say the snow is to begin this afternoon. We will wait and see.
Mar 23: We headed back to Duluth today to return our rental car. My son followed me with his pickup. We heard that they will not be able to look at our car until Wednesday unless there is a cancellation. Skies are blue. Lake Superior is blue. The temps were in the teens but warmed up to the mid 30's. They are predicting a blizzard for Minnesota beginning tomorrow and through Monday.
Mar 22: We took a shopping trip to Duluth today. We saw a couple of inches of light fluffy snow had fallen beginning around Silver Bay. We ended up having car trouble, towing our car to a dealer, renting a rental car, cutting our shopping short before driving back home. Since it was Friday afternoon there was no one available to diagnose our care until next week. It was a cold day with mostly blue skies, a morning low of 11,
and a high in the 20's. Lake Superior was blue with small waves.
Mar 21: It is another cold day with cold winds for our third day of spring. We have blue skies with a few thin white clouds. The sky become a bright white as we approach the crisp lake horizon. Lake Superior is a bright deep blue with dark olive shadows and white highlights on the crests and whitecaps of the 1-2ft waves from the south. The low was a brisk 8 degrees and we have climbed to 27 at 3pm.
Mar 20: Lake Superior is a deep blue with green shadows further out. We have a choopy looking horizon line suggesting large waves out there. However, close to shore we have just ripples from the SSE coming to the shore, just large enough to hear the lapping on the rocks. There are some low thin clouds across and partly over the lake, but overhead we have deep sky blue skies. After hitting 36 yesterday afternoon we had a frigid cold of 11 this morning. I see a texture on the lake surface that may be little fragments of ice floating in the water. That is the first sign of ice on the lake surface in Croftville this winter even though spring officially began yesterday. It has been a crazy year for weather.
Mar 19: Our high was 29 yesterday and we dropped to 18 late last evening before temps began rising during the night. At 9am we are at 35 degrees with gray overcast cloudy skies. Over Kitche Kami we have a dark horizon to the west end and a white horizon to the east. We have 2ft grayish blue roller waves from the south.
Mar 18: It was the coldest night we have seen for a while with temps dropping to just 14. I think that is actually "below average" for this date but we have not heard much of that term this past winter. There is some cloud cover over the lake and near the lake horizon but overhead we have clear blue skies and the sun has already risen above the clouds. The air is still still this morning but that may change as the sun pumps energy into our atmosphere. Lake Superior is blue on a smooth surface with small roller waves from the SSE coming into shore.
Mar 17: We are back to colder temps today with a morning low of 18 and so far our high is 26 degrees at 3pm. We have cloudy and overcast gray and white skies today with wind gusts coming off the hill and spreading out over the lake surface. Lake Superior is a bluish gray with small waves coming in at a very oblique angle from the SSW.
Mar 16: We had a little rain overnight, at least enough to get the sidewalks and roads wet. That was coupled with a few snow flurries this morning but no accumulation. Looking across the lake there are heavy gray bottomed cumulus clouds all the way to the horizon. Our low was 34 this morning. Yesterday we got to 42 and today we topped out at 39. There were strong winds last night and this morning but have tapered off this afternoon. Likewise, the gray waves with the green shadows from the SE have subsided down to 2ft waves this evening.
Mar 15: We have clear blue skies overhead and lots of a bright warming sun on this Ides of March. However, to the south across the lake in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula there is a dark almost black front of cumulus clouds. I don't know if this is coming our way but Lake Superior does have gale warnings posted for today. Right now we just have small blue waves on a textured surface from the SSE with navy shadows. With each passing day, it looks more and more like this was the winter that never was. Even though we can still get snow, it would be the variety of heavy wet stuff that is back breaking but will melt within a few days. After spiking to 44 late yesterday afternoon, our morning low was 28 degrees.
Mar 14: The low this morning was back to 32. Lake Superior has dark blue 2ft waves from SE with almost black shadows and bright refelecting sunshine off the crests. We have partly cloudy skies with cumulus clouds and plenty fo sun. Our high yesterday was 47 but at 39 at 2pm it doesn't look like we will get there today. It is a great day to be outside so what am I doing inside?
Mar 13: Our low was 32 this morning. We have clear blue skies over the land and blue skies with thin cirrus clouds over the lake that meld into a fuzzy white horizon line. Lake Superior is blue with dark blue shadows and with small waves from the SSE that brush against the shore rocks. The bright reflections of the sun off the lake make the lake surfaces near those relfactions look black in contrast. The iare is still and we are at 39 degrees at 10am.
Mar 12: We managed a high of 47 yesterday and started our morning with clear blue skies and 32 on our way to a high this afternoon of 47 again. Is this really March? The most unusual winter I have ever experienced along the shore continues. Lake Superior has 2ft bright blue waves with navy shadows from the south.
Mar 11: Our morning begins with 25 degrees as the sun rises on clear blue skies. The lake horizon is a fuzzy white which gradually turns to blue skies further up in the sky. Lake Superior has just small blue waves from the south. The air is still.
Mar 10: We started with 25 degrees but are warming quickly with the sun. We are at 38 at 1pm. We have light sky blue clear blue skies that fade to white at the lake horizon. Lake Superior is a deep blue with 2ft waves and silver highlights from the south. The exception is where the sun if reflecting off the lake that has blinding white and black affect on the sky and lake surface.
Mar 9: It is another beautiful sunny day with clear blue skies. The wind is blowing onto the lake and we can watch the gusts travel out on the highly textured bright blue surface. The low was 24 this morning and the wind keeps it cool outside in the shade, but the March sun has just too much power to not warm things up. We are currently at 41 degrees at 3pm which may be our high. Lake Superior has 1 ft waves from the SSE with navy shadows.
Mar 8: Yesterday's high was 45. Today's high was 39. Our low this morning was 24. It was a beautiful spring-like day with blue skies and sun. There were only a few wispy high clouds. Last night at sunset for about 10 minutes Lake Superior was purple and I mean purple. Not just with purple tints, but Minnesota Viking purple. Today we have 1-2ft sky blue waves with dark navy shadows from the south on a highly textured lake suface. There is a gentle breeze and a crisp white lake horizon that turns sky blue as you gaze above the horizon.
Mar 7: We topped out at 36 yesterday and temps stayed almost static dropping only 3 degrees to 33 overnight. Temperatures are rising quickly today and we are a 42 degrees at noon. Skies a a dark gray overcast and it looks like possible rain. There is a small shimmer from the sun in the clouds over the lake and the horizon is bright white showing possible good weather in the UP. Lake Superior has 2ft silver blue waves with green shadows from the SSE. The air is still.
Mar 6: Lake Superior is a stunning metallic blue this morning with 2-3ft waves from the SSE hitting straight into our shore. There is a cold wind off the lake and it is outright brisk in the shade without the sun's rays to keep you warm. There is plenty of sun but the clouds come and go. We are at 36 at noon after beginning the day at 26. Yesterday's high was 39.
Mar 5: It is a beautiful sunny morning with clear blue skies. Ther is just a gentle breeze in the air. Gitche Gami is a bright blue with navy shadows with a highly textured surface and just ripples this morning from the SSE. We have a crisp white lake horizon line. Early this morning I got to watch the half moon rise above the horizon in the SE sky and move across the night sky dropping below the horizon around sunrise.
Mar 4: We had rain yesterday afternoon and a high of 43 along Lake Superior. The winds were powerful and the wind and rain ushered in large waves and lightning. The lightning lit up the sky. During the night the skies cleared and the waning half moon rose up over the SE sky. This morning we have blue skies with some high cirrus clouds and a warm sun. The low was a warm 34. Lake Superior has 3-4ft blue green waves from the south with olive shadows and lots of whitecaps further out. Close in the water looks muddy due to the churning of the lake bottom.
Mar 3: We had strong winds during the night but they have let up a bit this morning. Lake Superior has 3ft grayish blue monochrome waves from the SE this morning. The skies are a light gray overcast except at the lake horizon where the sky is a narrow band of white against the crisp horizon line. Our high was 42 yesterday but it felt even warmer. Overnight it dropped only 3 degrees to 39.
Mar 2: Lake Superior is a pale blue with 1ft waves from the SSE on a textured surface. Off to the east the sun's rays are blinding as they reflect off the lake. There are some isolated high thin clouds over the lake and a little bit of haze in the blue skies. We had 44 yesterday and cooled to 30 overnight. We are already to 36 at 9am.
Mar 1: Well, March is coming in like a lamb. After the cold start yesterday morning at 1 below, we have been rising slowly all day yesterday, through the night, and into today. Currently we are at 41 degrees at 2pm. The blue skies are hazy but letting plenty of sun through to make shadows. The air is still. The lake horizon if a fuzzy brilliant white. Kitche Kami has 2ft blue waves from the SE with sort of dirty green shadows.
February 2024
Feb 29: Happy Leap Day. We dropped to below zero for the first time in 2024 this morning with 1 below next to Lake Superior. The air is still. There is plenty of sun in the blue albeit hazy skies. Lake Superior is calm with a grayish blue but textured surface. The dark cloud mass over the lake from steam rising with the cold temperatures continues to amass. Temps are rising and we are at 10 degrees at 10am.
Feb 28: It was 0 degrees for our low this morning. Lake Superior's blue surface had the little curliques of steam off of it and we can see the beginnings of a cloud mass forming over the center of the lake that we expect with below zero temperatures. Wave-wise, we have 1ft waves from the south. It stayed cold all day and our high was 15 in the afternoon before temps began another descent. The snowstorm of yesterday resulted in just a dusting of snow on the grass. The strong winds effectively blew all the snow off the roads, driveways, sidewalks, and patios before subsiding.
Feb 27: We traveled to Duluth today for the dredded shopping trip at the big box stores. On the way we visited a sick dear friend in hospice in Two Harbors. He looked good, at peace, and thankful for 67 years of marriage. He was joking and talked about the "amazing ride" his life has been and we said our tearful goddbyes. It was 41 degrees on our way to a 45 degree high here in Grand Marais. At 1pm temps began to drop. By 3pm we were down to 20 degrees, high winds, and a light snowy sleet began to come down. With the winds the lake began to swell with 3-4ft waves. On the trip home temps continued to drop and although the snow seemed heavy, we only ended up with a dusting on the ground. I think all the snow just blew into the lake.
Feb 26: We have never seen a winter like this before. It was 44 degrees today here on Croftville Road after a 23 degrees overnight. There was frost on the rooves this morning that quickly disappeared as the sun rose. Lake Superior had blue 2-3ft waves from the SSE with silver highlights and green shadows.
Feb 25: After a fairly cold afternoon yesterday temps started rising in the evening and was 33 degrees by midnight. By morning we are at 35 degrees. There was some overcast during the evening preventing us from a good view of the full moon during the night. However, this morning we have blue skies but with still some clouds oveer the lake. Lake Superior has 2ft waves from the south with a dark gray surface, dark green shadows, and silver highlights.
Feb 24: We dropped to 10 overnight but are quickly warming up today with partly cloudy, partly sunny skies. We are at 29 at 1pm. There is a good wind today which is adding energy to the waves. Lake Superior has massive 3-4ft bright blue waves with transluscent green shadows from the south. The nearly full moon last night lit up the lake and land in the clear night skies.
Feb 23: What a change in weather overnight. Yesterday we had a high of 45 and our low this morning was 12 degrees. Today we only managed of high of 19 with clear skies and sun. Lake Superior has 2ft bright blue waves from the SE.
Feb 22: We did not even get down to freezing last night with an overnight low of 33. Not even frost on the rooves. At 11:00 we have already matched yesterday's high of 40 degrees. Skies were lightly overcast at sunrise but quickly burned off to clear blue skies. The air is still today and you can feel the power of the sun as it gets higher in the sky on your face. Lake Superior is a metallic blue with silver highlights and small waves from the south.
Feb 21: After a high of 37 yesterday afternoon we just hit 40 degrees today at 1pm and still climbing. Our low this morning was 26. Skies are blue with a few white high cirrus clouds. The air is still and it is a great day to be outdoors. The big lake has 1ft bright blue waves from the SE with some blinding silver reflections by the sun.
Feb 20: Temps stayed right at 26 degrees all night. This morning it is 26 with blue skies, lots of sun reflecting light off the lake surface, and a few high cirrus clouds. The lake horizon is crisp. Lake Superior had 1ft blue waves from the SE with greeish brown shadows.
Feb 19: Our high today was 27 after a frigid start of 12 degrees during the night but had warmed up to 24 by morning. Lake Superior had 1-2ft light blue waves from the SE.
Feb 18: Surprisingly, we had a high of 29 yesterday. Overnight we had a low of 24 and now this afternoon we saw 35 for our high. The sun is getting higher in the air now and when the sun is out like it was this afternoon, it is hard to keep those temperatures down. We had an intense snow squall for only 5 minutes this morning. It came down so heavy you could barely see the lake. However, even with that intensity we had just a dusting on the ground when it ended. the sun this afternoon made short work of that. Lake Superior has blue 2-3ft waves from the south.
Feb 17: The waves picked up during the night. We have 3-4ft waves from the south crashing into the shore. The lake is a metallic blue with green transluscent shadows on the breaking waves. The skies are low hanging clouds. There are a couple spots on the lake that the sun is trying to break though leaving brilliant reflections off the water. We had a dusting of snow overnight. With a 9 degree low the spray from the waves is freezing on the rocks. This normally common event is rare this winter. We are up to 20 degrees at 11am but the wind chills you to the bone.
Feb 16: We have blue skies and sun today with just a few thin cloudbanks over the lake. Lake Superior is bright blue with a textured surface and navy shadows. The big lake has ripples from the SSW. We can see gusts of wind hitting the surface of the lake in places. After a high of 26 yesterday, the clear skies dropped temperatures all the way down to 13 this morning. It looks like our high was 17 at 3pm.
Feb 15: Temps dropped through the night with a morning low this morning od 24 degrees. It doesn't appear we will get much warmer than this today. We are now at 25 degrees at noon. We had light fluffy snow coming down this morning. Big clumpy flakes that were so pretty. We only had about a half inch of acculmulation total close to the lake. The skies are mostly cloudy with small patches of blue and sun. Lake Superior was quiet during the night but now has 1ft waves from the SSW brushing the shore. There are dark skies on the lake horizon. The lake surface is an assrtment of grays and silvers.
Feb 14: It is official. Our thaw that started on Jan 23 ended on Feb 12 when our high for yesterday only managed 29 degrees. We had one complete day below freezing and then today the thaw was back with a 36 degrees high after a morning low of 26. Today we had mostly overcast skies with sunlight once in a while. Lake Superior was a pale blue gray with 1-2ft waves down here near the shore in Croftville.
Feb 13: Our high yesterday was 33 here in Croftville to extend the January thaw. I know I said this before, but I think the January thaw will come to an end today. Our low this morning was 21 and we are currently at 28 degrees at 2pm. We have 1-2ft silver gray waves from the SE with dark green shadows. There is a gentle breeze in the air today. Skies are solid white overcast.
Feb 12: Our low was 27 after a high of 32 yesterday. We are already at 32 at 11am this morning. We got about a half inch of snow overnight, just enough to have Joey sweep the sidewalks and steps. We have dark cumulus cloudy skies and still air today. Lake Superior is gray and smooth with 1ft roller waves from the SE. There are small pockets where the sunlight can poke through to the lake surface lighting it up and reflecting the little direct sunlight we have off that gray surface.
Feb 11: I was wrong yesterday about the end of our thaw. We did manage to get to 33 degrees for our high yesterday and it looks like our high here along the lake will get above freezing again today so our January thaw that began on Jan 23 continues. Our low next to the lake was 23 during the night but we have quickly warmed to 31 degrees at noon. We got about 1" of light fluffy snow early this morning. Skies are now cloudy with small patches of blue breaking through. Lake Superior has 1ft gray waves with dark gray shadows on a highly textured surface from the south.
Feb 10: After a high of 41 yesterday morning and a little light rain, temps began to drop slowly in the afternoon. We saw some snow flurries and finally dropped below freezing at 9pm. This morning we woke up to 23 degrees with a dusting of snow on the ground. It is unlikely we will get out of the 20's today meaning our thaw starting on Jan 23 and continuing through Feb 9 is over. Skies are overcast today on Croftville Road with bands of lighter overcast. Kitche Kami is a dark bluish gray against a lighter crisp lake horizon. We have 1ft waves from the south on a textured surface breaking into our rocks.
Feb 9: With the rain and warm temps yesterday, the last of our snow disappeared yesterday except for the piles from snow removal. We had a high of 43 and woke up to a morning low of 38 this morning. The skies are a dark overcast and have the feel of rain. Lake Superior has 3-4ft greenish gray wave breaking on the shore from the south. Looking out at the lake you can see some whitecaps further out suggesting the waves are even larger out there. In spite of the overcast, there is a distinct horizon line with a very dark band of clouds just above it.
Feb 8: Down by the shore we only dropped to 36 this morning and were back to 38 by morning. We have already matched yesterday's high of 41 at noon today. We have had bouts of rain fince 4pm yesterday. It was raining pretty steady when I left the resort ar 8am. The skies are a light gray overcast. There is a light wind but with the swirling it is hard to specify its direction. 2ft blue gray waves with dark green shadows are buffeying the Croftville shore. There are times the overcast thins over the lake making me think the sun has a chance to poke through but no. It feels like it could be a late April shower day.
Feb 7: It dropped to 31 during the night but was back up to 34 by morning. No frost this morning. The remaining snow and ice along the roads continue to melt as we get ready for a predicted rain tomorrow. The stars came out briefly during the night but we were back to a solid light gray overcast by morning. Lake Superior has loud 2ft light blue waves with green shadows from the SE.
Feb 6: It was 30 this morning after a high of 42 yesterday in Croftville. It is totally still this morning with gray overcast skies, no breeze, and a rare calm silver blue Lake Superior. There is a thinning in the clouds over the lake near the horizon that allowed an amazing color show of reds, oranges, yellows and grays as the sun tried to make its presence known. Earler this morning about 4:30am the waning crescent moon popped up as a orange orb and reflection just above the horizon before disappearing behind the cloud cover.
Feb 5: It stayed above freezing last night with a low of 33 degrees. We are already to 37 at 8am. The air is quite still this morning. There is no movement in the trees. Lake Superior is quiet, calm, and flat this morning with a bluish gray surface. Skies are a dark gray overcast and it feels like it could rain at any moment.
Feb 4: We had a low of 24 and a high of 39 today. There was plenty of sun and blue sky along with a few clouds. Out on the lake there was a bank of fog that moved out and in but never made it entirely to the shore. Lake Superior has 1ft blue and gray waves from the south. The air has a gentle breeze with no disticnt direction. And of course, the thaw that began on Jan 23 still continues down here by the lake in Croftville.
Feb 3: I could see the half moon for some of the early morning hours but by the time I got up, skies were a gray overcast once again. It was 24 this morning with frost on the rooves. This afternoon we managed to get to 33 degrees. lake Superior is a silver gray with dark blue shadows on its 1ft waves from the ssw.
Feb 2: My son told me that the groundhog prognosticators officially are only 39% accurate. Should they change the story around and improve their result to 61%? If the groundhog sees his shadow he stays outside in the sun ready for an early spring. If the groundhog doesn't see his shadow the chill in the air from the overcast skies drives him back inside as he prepares for another 6 weeks of winter. We had 24 this morning and with clearing blue skies the temps have been rising with the sun. Lake Superior has 1-2ft bright blue waves from the SE. There is a gentle swirling breeze which offsets the warmth of the sun. Our high so far this afternoon is 35.
Feb 1: Our January thaw has now moved in February. We had 32 last night and we rose to 42 this afternoon. Lake Superior has 2-3ft gray waves breaking on the shore from the SE.
January 2024
Jan 31: The skies cleared for awhile during the night allowing the moon to come out and light up the lake and our remaining snow. However, by morning the overcast gray skies were back in full force. Lake Superior has 2-3ft gray waves pounding the shore from the south with dark blue green shadows against the white breaking crests as they approach the shore. Our low last night was 33 degrees as we head into another day into the upper 30's. I know that January thaws can be expected, but this thaw began on Jan 22. A 10 day thaw in January is not something to be expected in Grand Marais.
Jan 30: The skies are gray overcast except in the west where it looks like the sun is trying to break out. Lake Superior is a monochrome gray with just ripples on its surface. There is small air movement but hard to discern its direction. Temps stayed above freezing last night and have topped out at 39 here next to the lake in Croftville.
Jan 29: The clear skies disappeared compltely during the night. We could see the moon early on and then everything clouded up. Today we were completely overcast and gray. We topped out at 38 today after starting at 27 this morning. Lake Superior had 2-3ft gray waves from the SSE crashing onto our rocks.
Jan 28: The sun came out mid morning. It is so good to see blue skies with a smattering of white cumulus clouds dotting the sky. As the afetrnoon progresses the skies are clouding up over the water. Kitche Gami has 1-2ft silver gray waves with dark gray shadows from the south. Our low was 29 and we are currently at 35 degrees at 3pm. The sunshine has caused considerable melting on the roads and the rooftops.
Jan 27: We have cloudy skies with no breaks over the lake and gray overcast skies over the land. Lake Superior has 1-2ft monochromatic gray waves from the south. The air is still and it almost feels like there is a mist in the air. Our overnight low was 34 degrees and our current temperature is a static 36.
Jan 26: Our thaw continues. Our low was 33 and our high 37 today. Overcast skies, still air, and 1ft gray waves from the SE. Snow fell for awhile in the late morning but it was too warm to stick.
Jan 25: Our low was 33 overnight and our high is 37 today. We have light gray overcast skies and a brief burst of lake effect snow just enough to cover the sidewalks. The air is completely still. The big lake is a silver gray with greenish gray shadows with 1ft waves from the SSE. Noy much melting taking place without any sun shining.
Jan 24: There was about a half inch or less of snow that aacuumulated last night. Our high today was 35 as the thaw that was hinted at yesterday took a real hold on us today. Our low this morning was 30. Skies are a grey overcast and you can even feel mist in the air. The air was still and Lake Superior was gray with 1ft waves from the SSE.
Jan 23: You can feel a change in the air today. It was 28 when I got up. Temps stayed mostly static but squeeked out a high of 32 to begin our thaw. Skies are overcast and cloudy. Waves are 1ft gray waves on a relatively calm Gitche Gumee.
Jan 22: We had about a half inch of snow overnight. Not enough to get out the snow blower but enough that had to have my son shovel and sweep the sidewalks. Skies are overcast although there are places that look like the sun might try to break through. We were 21 this morning and our high this afternoon appears to be 31. We expect several thaw days coming up this week. Lake Superior is a dark blue with 2ft waves coming straight in from the SSE.
Jan 21: We were returning today from southern Minnesota. We began the morning at 23 in Prior Lake and ended our day with 28 when we pulled down on Croftville Road. It should feel good to have warmer temperatures compared to the last week, but it doesn't because of the relentless wind. I will take 0 degres, no wind, and sun any day over 23 dgrees, overcast skies, and powerful winds to pull away our body heat. It was really cold standing outside endurin the wind while putting on gas. My son tell me we had 5-6ft waves pounding our shore. They had subsided to 3-4ft waves by the time we got home.
Jan 20: After a high of 12 yesterday, we only dropped to 1 above ending our string of below zero lows here by the shore. The air is still this morning. The skies overhead are clear blue. Gitche Gami is a bright blue with navy shadows on a highly textured lake surface with only small waves from the SE. The cloud mass over the lake from the cold is dissipating but there is still a little sea smoke rising off the lake surface.
Jan 19: Happy Birthday to Cecelia Rose. It is hard to believe that we have been in Croftville for over 20 years but our daughter's age always serves as our reminder. It dropped to 6 below last night but the clear blue skies and sun are quickly warming things up. We are at 7 degrees at 11am. Lake Superior is bright blue with navy shadows and blinding silver and white reflections in the direction of the sun. There are a few high thin white clouds over the lake. The lake horizon is gray with the cloudmass from the cold temps still visible. No wind so it is a great day to be outdoors.
Jan 18: The skies are blue with a few high thin white clouds. The sun has blinding white reflections on what is otherwise a blue lake with small waves from the south. The lake horizon is now a pale white as the cloud mass that grew over the lake from the sea smoke is beginning to dissipate. Temps have rose quickly today from the 6 below we began the morning with. We are at 9 degrees already at 1pm with still air. It is quite pleasant to be outdoors in the sun.
Jan 17: Lake Superior has 1-2ft gray and blue waves from the south with greenish shadows today. Overhead we have high clouds covering the skies except for a heavy dark cloud mass directly over the center of the lake. Our low was minus 6 down on the shore which is very cold when you think it is next to an unfrozen body of water. The little sun we had through those high clouds warmed us up all the way to 9 above.
Jan 16: Another bitterly cold day in Croftville with a temperature range from 4 below to 4 above. We had a light dusting of snow overnight which was surprising for such cold temps. Lake Superior again had 2-3ft waves crashing the shore from the south. Skies today were a mix of clouds, a litle sun, and overcast. Once again there was a massive cloud over the lake with steam rising off that lake surface.
Jan 15: The below zero stuff arrived last night. We were at 6 below this morning, warmed up to 5 above, and have just dropped berlow zero again at 5pm. Skies were clear blue over the land. It was still this morning but the winds have picked up again this afternoon. A huge cloud mass is amassing over the lake with stean rising off the lake surface. We had 2-3ft gray blue waves from the south with green shadows.
Jan 14: It was 3 degrees when I got up today. Sometime later this morning we hit our low of 1 before rebounding to a high this afternoon of 9. Currently we are at 5 just after sunset. The winds were gone today making it reasonably comfortable outside except for the occasional gust coming off the hill from the north and spreading out over the lake surface. We had 1-2ft gray waves from the SSE most of the day. The skies were a gray overcast but we could see clouds across the lake in the UP.
Jan 13: The winds really picked up last night and it is impressive watching the gusts come over the sawtooth mountains and buffet the shore from the north. We have 3-5ft light bluish gray waves from the SSE. This is with the winds partially subduing them. Further out the waves are much bigger with whitecaps and with rising steam making the lake look almost blurry. With the wind also came much colder temps with a morning temperautre of 3 dgrees this morning. Skies are a white overcast. We was 2 freighters all lit up passing by Croftville about 2 miles from the shore.
Jan 12: Our morning low was 21 and our high 24. Temps have been falling and we are now at 16 at 7pm. We had about 5" of fresh snow here by the lake last night. Flurries continued all day but no accumulation. Lake Superior had 3ft waves coming straight in from the SSE melting the snow on the rocks.
Jan 11: Our temperature ranged from 19 to 23 today. We had overcast gray skies that looked like it should snow. The snow finally began falling here in Croftville about 8pm. It is coming down quite steady. Large blue gray waves from the SE are pounding the shore. Looks like shoveling and snowblowing will be the order of business for tomorrow.
Jan 10: Our low was 21 and our high 35 today. We traveled to Duluth today and was met with snow begginning in Lake County and all the way to Duluth. The same was true for our trip home although stretches from Silver Creek Tunnel to Silver Bay had the heaviest snow coming down. Skies were gray, Lake Superior was gray. Snow began finally in Grand Marais after 11pm.
Jan 9: We had light snow during the night with 1.5" of fresh snow accumulated. Our low was at midnight with 23 degrees. Temps rose overnight to 31 by morning and then hovered in the upper 20's and lower 30's the rest of the day. Our high was 32. Skies were a gray overcast. Lake Superior was a blue gray with 2ft waves from the SE.
Jan 8: We were at 10 degrees this morning with temps slowly rising all day. We are currently at 23 at 5pm which is our high for today. Skies were a gray overcast and looked like snow but non has fallen today. Lake Superior was a blue gray with 2ft waves breaking with whitecaps from the SSE.
Jan 7: We got an additional dusting or possibly an extra half inch of snow during the night. Our low overnight was around 20, our high around 25, and we are already down to 13 this evening at 9pm. The snow removal work from yesterday really wore me out and I napped most of the afternoon away.
Jan 6: We got 3" of snow last night and a rainy mist most of today. It was 24 at midnight, 31 at daybreak, and an afternoon high of 34. The result is 3-4" of very wet heavy snow. It was easy to shovel and snowblow early in the day and almost impossible by the end of the day. Skies were a ligth gray overcast. Winds had strong gusts from the south. Lake Superior had 3ft metallic waves.
Jan 5: We are waiting for our first real snowfall of the season to start tonight. Hard to believe that down here by the lake in Croftville, the most snow we have seen this winter was less than a half inch. So we are busy making sure we have everything put away, shovels ready, sand and salt ready, and the snow blower ready. It was a pleasant day outside with light overcast skies and still air. Lake Superior had small grayish blue waves. Our low this morning was 23 and our afternooon high was 26.
Jan 4: Our low of 24 for yesterday morning turned out to be our high for the daytime yesterday as temperatures slowly dropped all day long. Our low overnight was 8 and we have now warmed up to 14 at noon. Lake Superior is a grayish blue with navy highlights with only rippples on the surface from SSW. Skies are partly sunny except for the dark black sky at the lake horizon.
Jan 3: Our low is 24 this morning. At 8am we are still waiting for the sun to come out but the skies are cloud covered. Lake Superior is a blusih gray this morning with ripples from the SE. The air is still and we had a dusting of snow overnight.
Jan 2: It is so interesting to watch the sun try to rise above the cloudbanks on the horizon in near the solstice when the days are so short. The sun just doesn't get very high in the sky this time of year. Today it was 10am before it finally got high enough in the sky to peak over the heavy cloudbank that was over the UP and northern Wisconsin. Our low this morning was 24. Our high was 32. Skies except over the horizon were partly cloudy with plenty of sun. The air was still so it was comfortable to be outdoors. Lake Superior has 3-4ft steel blue waves breaking onto the shore from the south.
Jan 1: Welcome 2024. We had a high of 29 today after a morning low of 15. Skies are partly sunny today with bands of clouds moving across the sky. By late afternoon most of the sun had been replaced by dark overcast skies. We had strong winds today from the east and powerful 2-4ft metallic gray waves from the south. We are still waiting for snow. What an unusaul winter.