Four Season Cottages and Vacation Suites
On the Shore of Lake Superior
Grand Marais, Minnesota
December 2020
Dec 31: We end 2020 with mostly cloudy cumulus skies with small patches of blue. Lake Superior has 2-3ft blue waves from the south. There are blinding white relfections on the water in the few places where the sunlight can break through the clouds. There is also a thin dark navy horizon line. We dropped to 11 this morning but quickly jumped back up into the mid 20's.Everything looks so clean and white after our recent fresh snow.
Dec 30: The 3" of fresh snow overnight kept the temperature up to 21 last night. Our high today was 28 as Joey shoveled us out all by himself as I was busy with year end book-keeping. Lake Superior had 3ft green waves from the SSE today hammering the shore. Near sundown the sun finally peaked out from behind the overcast skies and created a beautiful sunset.
Dec 29: Its beeen interesting watching the dark blue sky and horizon across the lake to our south today. Clearly there is a winter storm that way and yet we have beautiful weather here even though the storm is expected to move into our area later tonight. I will believe it when I see it. The big lake has a knack of swallowing up weather systems that are "supposed" to hti us. It was 1 below this morning and warmed up to 23 this afternoon with plenty of sun and blue skies. Lake Superior was blue with 1-2ft waves from the south.
Dec 28: As we begin the last week of 2020, we again saw several freighters pass by Croftville during the night. We also saw the skies clear up overnight and the stars and full moon came out to light up the night. I have forgotten how bright it is at night in the winter with a full moon. Not only do you have the direct moonlight, but you have the reflected light off both the lake and the snow cover. Our low this morning is 11 degrees. We have clear blue skies overhead and a gray bottomed low hanging cloudbank over Superior. The sun has already raised above the clouds making them a brilliant white on their tops. Lake Superior has 1-2ft blue roller waves bumping against the shore from the south.
Dec 27: The morning low was 17, the afternoon high was 23. Skies have been a dark overcast all day. Lake Superior is gray, green, and surprisingly calm with just small ripples for waves. We saw 2 ore freighters pass by, one up close, one about 10 miles out.
Dec 26: Our high today was 26. The sky was overcast. Lake Superior was gray and calm with just 6" roller waves. It was funny to wake up to silence. We was sevral ore freighters pass by during the night. It seemed every time I woke up there was another freighter lit up out on the lake. Cross country skiing conditions are becoming quite good up at Pincushion Mountain.
Dec 25: Merry Christmas. We had our coldest temperature of the season last night in Croftville at 3 below. However, things are warming up quickly and we are at 17 degrees at noon. The freighter "Presque Isle" is passing by as I write heading toward Duluth. It is quite close, perhaps as close as a mile. It is difficult to tell how far freighters are from the shore. I usually underestimate the distance probably because I fail to appreciate just how large these ships are. A better estimate than size of the ship or how far below the horizon its waterline is is to instead see how quickly it passes by you. Ships more than 4 miles out do not pass by you field of view quickly. This freighter passed by us in just a couple minutes so we know it was quite close. Lake Superior has 3ft silver waves with green shadows from the SSW today. The horizon line is blue with some clouds but overhead we have a gray overcast.
Dec 24: The low overnight was 1 below here by Lake Superior but was considerably colder inland away from the big warm heater that the lake is at this time of the year. The high today was 8 degrees. The storm of yesterday afternoon and evening is through and all that is left of it is the cold temps it ushered in. This morning the wind was still gusting and it was interesting watching the gusts pummel the surface of the lake keeping the waves subdued. The gale winds that we listened to during the night never produced the large waves they were predicting. Today was spent getting ready for Christmas Eve and shoveling out from the storm which left us with about 4-5" on the ground. Some people say we got much more snow than that, maybe it just all blew into the lake.
Dec 23: It stayed 36 degrees all night by Lake Superior and the snow turned into a rainy mist. Lake Superior has 2ft green waves with navy shadows from the SE. There is dark navy narrow band at the horizon suggesting poorer weather in northern Wisconsin. The temperatures are supposed to plummet this afternoon and the rain/mist is to turn to snow and gale force winds are supposed to stir up an the lake.
Dec 22: Our low this morning was 27 and that is about where the temperature stayed most of the day until 7pm when temps began rising. At 11:30 pm we are at our high of 36 degrees. I can hear 4ft waves pounding the shore as I write. We had a dusting of snow this morning and about 1.5 inches of fresh snow that came down heavy for a while around 5pm. My waxless skis began clumping after about an inch of fresh moist snow on the Pincushion Trails.
Dec 21: Our low this morning was 17. The day warmed up slowly into the upper 20's. We had a couple dustings of snow in the afternoon which was disappointing. The past 2 days we have had clear days only to become overcast near evening when I am hoping to see the convergence of Saturn and Jupiter in the SW sky. Lake Superior had dark green 2-3ft waves today during the snow flurries.
Dec 20: Our high today was at midnight with 34 degrees and our low so far is right now at 7pm with 26 degrees. It was a mostly sunny day today with lots of sun and plenty of clear blue skies. It didn't become overcast until after 3pm. The abnormally warm November and December continue here on the North Shore.
Dec 19: It is a beautiful winter morning. Lake Superior has calmed down from yesterday. Lake Superior has a textured blue surface with small wavs from the SE. The horizon line is a dark gray suggesting poor weather in the UP and northern Wisconsin. Over that dark band is a thin band of white clouds backlit by the sun as it struggles to get into the sky so near the solstice. Everywhere else the sky is clear and blue. Our low this morning was 21 after we got a couple inches of fresh moist snow yesterday afternoon.
Dec 18: Lake effect snow began about noon today. Lake Superior has 3-4ft green waves from the SSE with whitecaps. You cab hear the rocks shifting as the waves buffet the shoreline. Our low was 31 overnight and so far the temperature today has remained steady with a high of 32.
Dec 17: It was a lightly overcast warm day with our low of 29 and our high of 41. Lake Superior had 1-2ft waves from the south. After a brief interuption of normal temperatures for 2 days we are back again to above normal temps.
Dec 16: Our overnight low was 23 and our high for today was 31 here near the big lake. We woke up to 2" of fresh light snow this morning. Joey whipped out the shovel and was ready for our trip to Eveleth and then Duluth by 11am. The new snow should make almost enough of a base inland to make for decent cross country skiing.
Dec 15: Our low was 4 degrees right around midnight and it has slowly been warming up ever since. It was 10 degrees when I woke up, it was 17 degrees at noon, and it is now 23 degrees at 6pm. It was windy today and snow changed from light flurries this morning to about 1 inch accumulation this afternoon. Lake Superior has 3ft waves coming straight in from the SSE.
Dec 14: Our high was at midnight with 20 degrees. It has been going down ever since. It was 11 when I woke up and was 11 degrees most of the day until it started dropping again toward sunset. It is now 6 degrees here by the big lake. That means it is likely below zero inland by now. Lake Superior was a grayish blue with 1-2ft waves from the SE. Skies overhead were a miz of blue, clouds, and overcast. We went skiing on Pincushion this afternoon but the base snow was icy and hard.
Dec 13: It was a chilly night with 14 degrees. Today we got up to 28. Lake Superior was bluish gray with 1-3ft waves from the SE. Skies today were overcast varyng from a light this morning to heavy in the afternoon. We had a dusting of snow with less than an inch accumulation starting around 2pm.
Dec 12: I saw 2 ore freighters pass by during the night all lit up and I have seen 2 ore freighters pass by today. One was close enough to see the ship details and the bow cutting through the water. It is colder today with a low of 22 and it appears our high will top out at 27. The horizon across the lake is dark. It looks like northern Wisconsin may have bad weather. Over the lake and over us we have mostly sunny blue skies with thin bands of clouds. Lake Superior has 1-2ft blue and silver waves from the SE.
Dec 11: Lake Superior is a monochrome gray with 6" to 1ft waves from the SE. There is a dark navy gray band at the horizon. Skies are heavily cloud covered. The mild weather continues with bare ground near the shore and a mornign low of 31 degrees.
Dec 10: Overnight we had a low of 32 and at noon we are at 43. Skies are a gray overcast with drizzle except near the horizon to the south where a thin band of clouds are backlit by the sun that is obscured behind the the heavy overcast over Lake Superior. The lake is smooth and bluish gray with 6" waves from the SE.
Dec 9: We had a remarkable high of 47 here next to the lake in Croftville after an overnight low that just made it to freezing. We had 2ft blue and green waves from the south with mostly sunny skies with a few bands of thin clouds.
Dec 8: It was so good to hear the waves pick up last night. We get so used to the sounds of the waves that without the sound it is hard to sleep in the silence. Today we had 3-4ft waves with whitecaps from the SSE. The waves were an translucent green close to shore and turned purple further out. Skies were a blusih gray overcast and the air was mostly still. Our low was 30 and a high of 38. I wonder when winter is going to return, we haven't really seen it since October.
Dec 7: We have 1ft gray waves from the south against a white horizon line today. The rest of the sky is a gray overcast without any sun. The low was 21 and our high so far is 34. The air is still and our continuation of mild early December days continue.
Dec 6: Our low was 21 this morning and our high was 34 this afternoon. It was an overcast day and we didn't see any direct sun. Lake Superior had small gray waves from the SSE.
Dec 5: Almost a repeat from yesterday. Our low was 27 and our high was 34. Skies were partly cloudy with sun. There were just 1ft small waves from the south.
Dec 4: It was a mild calm early December day. The low was 28 and our high was 34. Skies were partly cloudy with sun. Lake Superior was blue with a white horizon. There were only small waves from the south.
Dec 3: It only got to 30 degrees this morning by the lake. For the first week of December we have a comfortable 39 degrees this afternoon. Lake Superior has 1-3ft waves from the SSE. They are bright blue with green shadows close to the shore against a white horizon line. Skies overhead are partly cloudy with white cumulus clouds against a deep sky blue background.
Dec 2: It was chilly this morning with 22 degrees. Lake Superior has a highly textured surface with 1-2ft steel gray waves with black shadows from the south. Skies have a light gray haze against a blue background but the sun can still make it through. There is a white horizon line and a gentle breeze swaying the tops of the trees. There is a blinding band of reflected sunlight coming off the lake.
Dec 1: We start December with a high for the day of 31 and a low this morning of 20 here in Croftville. We had mostly sunny skies with some thin clouds passing through. The air was still. Lake Superior has 1-2ft blue waves from the south against a white horizon line. The days now end so early and I am constantly battling getting out for my walk before sundown arounf 4:30pm. It is 4pm now and today is no different but those thin clouds are really putting on a light show as the sun gets close to setting.
November 2020
Nov 30: We end November with a taste of the cold we had become to expect from October. It was a funny role reversal for October and November. October was cold and snowy and felt like November. November came around and the snow ended and the temperatures warmed up and it felt like October. This morning we had a low of 16 which is certainly the coldest temperature we saw in November but we may have seen 16 degrees or colder in October. The horizon line is dark across the lake and there is a thin cloudbank over the lake. Everywhere else we have clear, crisp, blue skies and sun. The reflections off the lake are blinding white with 1ft blue roller waves with black shadows from the SE. We have seen a long chain of freighters passing by both day and night and there is one in front of the resort right now.
Nov 29: Our high was 37 at midnight and our low so far is 26 at 9pm. It was incredibly windy today. Some of the gusts blew out the pilot lights on our gas stoves. It was amazing to see the gusts of wind coming off the hill and overwhelming any wave action near the shore as the pelted the lake surface. I saw several ore freighters out Superior today. Teresa said that one of them was not listed on her "ship spotter" app. We joked that it was a ghost ship.
Nov 28: Our low was 34 this morning and our high 39 but it feels much warmer. We had partly cloudy skies and plenty of sun today. The air is still. We have 2ft blue waves with green shadows from the south against a clear white horizon. It is a nice day to be out and about enjoying the pleasant late November weather.
Nov 27: We woke up to ice covered with about 1-2 inches of snow this morning. Our low was 29 and our high 33 yesterday hovering right between freezing and thawing. Lake Superior had 3-4ft green breakers pounding into the shore and you could here the large rocks grinding their teeth as they were moved about. We drove to Two Harbors to picj up wreaths for the Cross Country Ski Team fundraiser. Driving was treacherous with with ice covered pavement with 1 inch of hard packed snow on top. Conditions didn't begin to improve until Silver Bay.
Nov 26: We have overcast gray skies and a fuzzy horizon line over the lake. Off to the west we see brighter skies. Perhaps open skies might be coming later on this Thanksgiving Day. Overnight the low was 32 but we woke to icy surfaces on eveything until things warmed up a little more. It isn't really raining today, more of a constant mist coming down. Lake Superior has 2-3ft green waves from the south.
Nov 25: It stayed warm overnight with a low of 32 and remains again in the 30's today. Lake Superior has calme down with just small waves from the SSE. The surface today is gray which matches the gray overcast sky.
Nov 24: The overcast skies continue and there is a winter weather watch for Cook County today. Lake Superior has 3-4ft green waves breaking loudly against the shore straight in from the SSE. Some whitecaps can be seen all the way yowards the horizon. The dark olive green waves turn purple near the fuzzy horizon line. Temperatures warmed up overnight aand were at freezing by morning and now hovering in the mid 30's.
Nov 23: The low this morning was 21 and our high was 29 here next to the lake. We had snow flurries and gray overcast skies that were reflected in the montone gray lake.
Nov 22: Lake Superior has 2-3ft greenish blue waves from the south against a hazy overcast sky. The horizon disappears into the mist over the lake. Our low was 28 and we are now at 34 degrees. The snow flurries this morning turned into a rainy mist this afternoon. It feels much colder than it is with the high humidity.
Nov 21: Lake Superior has 2ft silver gray waves from the south today. The horizon line is a dark bluish gray suggesting poor weather in northern Wisconsin. Skies are heavily clouded over the lake but there are small slivers of sunlight poking through the are like spotlights on the lake. After a high of 35 yesterday we bottomed out at 25 this morning.
Nov 20: It is 34 this morning after an overnight low of 33. Skies are a dark gray overcast on the land and heavy cloud cover over the lake. It has the look of late fall here along the North Shore. Lake Superior has 2ft steel gray waves that have changed direction overnight and are now coming from the SSW.
Nov 19: It was 48 degrees today with an overcast sky. Our low was 34 this morning. We saw several freighters on the lake today as we drove down the shore to Duluth for our monthly shopping trip. Lake Superior was a steel gray with 2-4ft waves from the SE. Every once in a while the overcast would break enough to have sunlight reflect off the crests of the waves. Deer behavior on the roads is definately more erratic that usual with hunting season.
Nov 18: Superior was loud, steel gray, and ominous looking today. We had 3-5ft waves all day from the SE. Skies were a gray overcast. The high today is 38 which is our temperature rigth now at 5pm. We began the day with 28. I saw 2 ore freighters pass by in the night and one during the day today.
Nov 17: It was a cold but mostly sunny day today along the shore. Our temperature range was from 19-34. Lake Superior was surprisingly calm with just 1ft waves from the south. The air was still as well. Not much snow left after the warmer temps and rain from a few days ago. They say it is warming up for the next couple days.
Nov 16: We has a low of 24 and a high of 34 today in Croftville. It was colder away from the big lake. Skies were partly cloudy with plenty of sun. Lake Superior was a blackish blue with 2-3ft waves from the south. The small birds were going crazy today with the snow buntings flying in tight knit packs.
Nov 15: It was another night of above freezing temperatures with a high today of 38. Skies are a medium gray overcast today with strong winds picking up in the afternoon. Lakle Superior has 2ft gray waves from the south.
Nov 14: It stayed above freezing last night. Lake Superior has 3-5ft waves from the south that break and pound into the rocks. Skies are a gray overcast but you can see lighter skies to the south in northern Wisconsin and the UP. The lake is a dark purple further out and a translucent green closer to shore. There are some whitecaps which are so dazzling against the green and purple waves. I am guessing temps today are going to stay where they are right now in the mid to upper 30's.
Nov 13: It was a beautiful sunrise once again. The sun was lighting up the bottom of the cloudbank that ran across Lake Superior. Waves were 3ft with blues, greens, and browns from the south that broke with whitecaps against the shore. It was 24 this morning and temps are rising now that the clouds have moved on and should get into the mid 30's today.
Nov 12: The low this morning was 32 degrees and the high was 36 degrees lat this morning. Since then, the temperatures have slowly dropped through the afternoon. Currently it is 29 dergees at 10pm. Lake Superior had 3-4ft grayish green waves from the south breaking and crashing into the shore this morning. The sunrise was amazing as the sun backlit the small cloudbanks sitting over the lake. By afternoon the partly cloudy skies changed to a dark overcast which continues to evening.
Nov 11: We had our first shovelable snow lasrt night. It started about 8:30pm and we had about 3" accumulation before it ended in the night. Today there is lots of sun in the partly cloudy blue sky dotted with cumulus clouds. It dropped to 25 last night and is now at 35 at noon. With the sun and lack of wind it feels mich warmer and that shoveled snow it wet and melting. Lake Superior has 2ft blue waves from the SE.
Nov 10: Lake Superior had 2-3ft gray waves with green shadows coming in straight from the SSE today. Skies were overcast but had periods of brighness but without the sun making it through the haze. The high was 40 after a low of 28. It was funny to see a sheet of ice in the bird bath before I put it away for th winter. We scrambled to put most of the outdoor furniture away today as they were predicting a chance of shovelable snow overnight.
Nov 9: It has rained steadily most of the day and hard at times. It is too warm here by the lake for snow. Our low was a remarkable 50 degrees and our high is 55. Skies are heavily gray overcast and it is dark. Lake Superior has 2-4ft greenish gray waves from the SSE banging the shore.
Nov 8: It was an amazing November Sunday on Lake Superior today. Our temperature ranged from 40 to 56 today with plenty of sun and hazy blue skies. Lake Superior had 2ft blue gray waves from the SE.
Nov 7: It stayed warm last night with a 41 degree low. It was a very different day today with gray overcast skies and no sun today. Without the sun we only got to 46 today. Lake Superior had 2-3ft gray waves from the SSE today.
Nov 6: The warm days continue with a low of 41 and a high of 54 today. It was much, much warmer in most of Minnesota but Grand Marais was the exception as it often is. Skies were hazy but sunny. The lake had small silver blue waves again from the south. This is to last for a couple more days and we are going to enjoy being outside in light clothing as long as it lasts.
Nov 5: The overnight low was a remarkably warm 41 and at 1pm we are already at 53. I didn't think we would see a 50 degree day again until spring after the cold October that we just finished. We have still air, light blue hazy skies, and 1ft silver blue roller waves gently brushing the shore from the south.
Nov 4: It was 36 this morning and 48 this afternoon. The warm days feel so good after such a cold October. Today we have light blue skies with thin wispy strands of clouds. Lake Superior has 1-2ft blu waves with green shadows and silver highlights from the south. The air is still.
Nov 3: It is another October-like day here in Croftville. Our low was a warm 34 this morning. Skies are clear except for a wispy cloud bank over the lake horizon. Gitche Gumi has 1-2ft silver blue waves from the SE. Walking in the boreal forest I am struck by all the vistas of the lake that have opened up now that the leaves have fallen.
Nov 2: Well, after having November-like days most of October. It took us to get to November to have our first October like day in about 3 weeks. The low this morning was 29 and our afternoon high was 46. It was a beautiful day to be outside with a light overcast between bouts of sunshine. The strong gusts of wind are gone. Lake Superior oscillated between grays and transluscent greens on the 2-3ft waves from the SSE.
Nov 1: After an almost balmy 44 degrees yesterday afternoon, we had 27 degrees this morning with partly cloudy skies and plenty of blue. The winds were powerful during the evening and continue to be powerful coming off the hill and buffeting the surface of Lake Superior. The effect is that it subdues the waves near the shore and you can watch the gusts of wind as they move across the lake surface. Lake Superior is a steel blue, perhaps my favorite hue it takes on and usually seen only in the fall. Last night we saw 2 ore freighters pass by while looking out enjoying the lake with my brother who showed up unexpectantly for a class at the North House Folk School.
October 2020
Oct 31: Big waves today on the big lake. We have 4-6ft waves from the south. The waves are blue with transluscent green shadows and silver crests. Skies are lightly overcast today so no direct sunlight is coming through but the full moon last night lit up the clear night skies. It is relatively warm with a little rain coming down sporadicly. We dipped to 30 last night and are now at 42 at noon.
Oct 30: After a frigid beginning of the day at 22 degrees, the sun in the clear skies warmed things up nicely to 39 this afternoon. We had steel blue 2ft waves out on Lake Superior. The sun felt good on our faces. Last night the nearly full moon lit up the clear skies.
Oct 29: I was expecting a warm day today but I was wrong. Overnight, our low was 28 and today we never made it to freezing with a high of 31 next to the lake. But it felt much colder than that. A cold wind was blowing hard and the humidity was high. The light overcast sky kept any direct sunlight from warming your face and it was almost impossible to get out of the swirling wind. Lake Superior was a greenish gray with 2-3ft roller waves from the south.
Oct 28: There were huge waves on Gitche Gumi last night. I would estimate 5-7ft waves from the south. Waves have subsided a bit this morning down to 3-5ft. Skies are a light gray overcast more typical of November but then November is only a few days away. Our high for yesterday was 37 degrees right before midnight. It dropped to 32 this morning and is now climbing again. These cold nights and days have been atypical for the last couple weeks of October, it has felt more like Thankgiving weather. Yesterday in Duluth it felt like winter, not October.
Oct 27: With a low of 24 this mornign it was cold and stayed cold all day. At 9pm we are now at our high for the day of 36 degrees. This morning there was sun and clear skies. Lake Superior was a transluscent aqua blue with 3-4ft waves from the south with sparkling bright whitecaps.
Oct 26: Lake Superior was calm today mustering grayish blue waves up to 1ft. It never got above freezing today with a low of 27 and a high of 32. The air was still.
Oct 25: Our low this morning was 26 and our high was 35 today. No precipitation today but it was a faint gray overcast that looked like it should snow. Lake Superior had 1-2ft blue gray waves.
Oct 24: We had a high of 37 today bookeneded by 30 degrees both this morning and now tonight. The sun peaked out just a handful of times today in what was otherwise a cloud covered day. Lake Superior had 2-3ft waves from the south. It was a good afternoon for fish chowder and apple pie.
Oct 23: My cousin and his family and my aunt came up to visit us and checked in today. It is so good to see them even sitting on our covered porch and warming ourselves by the woodstove. We talked into the night as we listened to the waves and watched an ore freighter pass by. Lake Superior had 2-4ft green waves from the south today. There was a light frost this morning with a low of 32 and a high of 38.
Oct 22: We did what I expect is the last concrete pour for this season with a small pad needed to anchor the the west steps down to the rocks. Our high was 42 and skies were mostly cloudy with a little sun. It is supposed to stay above freezing tonight which will be good for our fresh concrete. Lake Superior has 2-3ft greenish gray waves from the SSE.
Oct 21: It was rainy today. Our high was only 36 after a morning low of 29. All the energy we could muster today was to get the rentals ready for 4 check-ins. The rest of the day was a rainy, lazy day witha gray monochrome lake.
Oct 20: The rain started later in the day around 6pm but the entire day was dark and overcast. Our low was 26 and our high late this afternoon was 38. Looking on the radar map my son observed that the snow/rain line makes a perfect outline of Lake Superior. Right now in mid-October Lake Superior is just too warm yet for snow to fall over it. We have no snow coming down on Croftville Road, but just a half mile of more in from the lake it is all snow comng down. Lake Superior had small 6" to 1ft greenish gray waves this morning.
Oct 19: A gray overcast fall day today. There was a blackish blue cloudbank to the south at the horizon indocating bad weather in southern Minnesota and Wisconsin. We had a low of 27 and a high of 37 degrees today. Lake Superior has 1-2ft greenish gray waves from the south. There is is small strip of bright skies to to the west, maybe we will have clear skies for awhile tonight before the next storm hits Minnesota tomorrow.
Oct 18: The cold continues. Although we have no snow along the shore, inland less than a mile has 3 to 4" of accumulation on the ground. Our low last night was 29 and our high today was 37 beside the shore. No noticable rain today but we did see snow flurries. It was a brighter although still mostly overcast day. Lake Superior was a greenish gray with 2ft waves from the south.
Oct 17: We had our first killing frost by the lake this morning. Luckily we brought our mums in and they are safe. Our low was 27 and our high 37 today. From about 10am to 5pm it rained steadily with sleet and snow at times. Inland it was a steady snow most of the day. Lake Superior was gray with 2ft roller waves.
Oct 16: It was a cold day and got colder as the day went on. Our low this morning was 32 and we hit our high of 44 by 11am. From then on the temperature slowly dropped. We saw snow flurries this afternoon for a short time. They are saying we might get a little accumulated snow overnight. Skies were mostly cloudy today but we saw blue once in a while. Lake Superior had 2ft waves from the south.
Oct 15: I watched the stars last night as the skies cleared and hoped I would see clear skies this morning but when I woke up dark clouds once again covered the sky. Luckily, those dark clouds moved on leaving us with blue skies heavily dotted with white cumulus cottan balls. Lake Superior is silver gray except for the blinding silver white reflections of the sun off the surface. We have 1-2ft waves from the south. Our low was 35 this morning and are still only at 39 at noon.
Oct 14: Dark gray skies without any bright sectors today. The rain began about 9:30am and has lasted all day long. Lake Superior has bluish gray 3-5ft waves with green shadows from the SE. There is a hazy white horrizon line. Our low was 39 and our high was 51.
Oct 13: We had some light rain this morning but mostly today was a windy day on the north shore. Cumulus clouds, some dark at the bottoms and some white dotted the blue sky giving us bouts of sun then shade all day long. Our low this morning was a chilly 41 but temps rebounded quickly and we managed just to hit 60 briefly this afternoon. Lake Superior was blue with 2-4ft waves from the SE.
Oct 12: The rain began about 4:30 this morning and has not really quit since then. It is windy and a dark gray overcast. Lake Superior is a greenish gray near the shore with 2-3ft long roller waves. We can see the gusts of wind from the hill buffet the lake surface and then move out. Further out you can see large whitecaps that are being subdued by the wind closer to shore. It was 49 when I got up, it is still 49 at noon.
Oct 11: We woke up to 3-4ft dark bluish gray waves pounding the shore from the SE. There were blackish blue skies overhead everywhere except to the far south over the lake where we could see light skies and a white horizon. Our low was 45 and our high 55. No direct sun today but a fierce wind at times and no precipitation.
Oct 10: Lake Superior was stunning today with the steel blue 2-3ft waves from the SE with almost black shadows against a blue sky and a hazy white horizon. Our low was 46 and our high peaked out at 62. Colder weather is on the way. We may have seen our last 60 degree day along the shore in Grand Marais this fall.
Oct 9: We have mixed skies today. The blue is a bit hazy. The clouds are thin and obscure. There is a gentle breeze that flitters the gold leaves on the quaking aspens and sway branches to and fro. Even though we are past peak, the fall foliage is still dazzling. Lake Superior has 2-3ft silver and gray waves from the SE against a hazy white horizon line.
Oct 8: It was a picture perfect fall day here in Croftville. Our low was 43 and our high 59. The skies were clear and blue which accentuated the golds and yellows of the leaves in the boreal forest. Lake Superior was that gorgeous steel blue with dark navy shadows that you only see in the fall.
Oct 7: We had a low of 45 and a high of 59 today in Croftville. Most of the day was overcast, heavy at times. There was some sprinkles and mist this morning. To the south looking out at the lake we could see nicer and warmer weather in northern Wisconsin and the UP. Lake Superior was a dark blue gray with 1-2ft waves from the south.
Oct 6: Yesterday evening the 4-5ft waves were pounding the shore. The sound was deafening and conversations were shouting contests. By this morning the waves had subsided down to 2ft blue green waves with dark olive shadows from the south. The wind yesterday continued to strip our fall colored leaves from the trees. Most maples are now bare and the birch and aspen leaves on the lower limbs are almost gone. Our low this morning was 49 after a 59 degree high yesterday. Overhead we have a light cloud cover.
Oct 5: Lake Superior has 3-4ft green waves from the south this morning with striking white crests as they break near the shore. Overhead we have dark gray overcast but to the south over the lake we can see lighter skies and partial cloud cover. We dropped only to 46 last night and they are predicting warmerr days this week. Right now it is 49 with a strong swirling breezes.
Oct 4: It is a beautiful, cool, and windy fall day. Leaves are falling from the trees due to the wind. By mid morning the clouds had moved away and we had blue skies with a few distant clouds visible across the lake at the southern horizon. It was 33 this morning and we should break 50 later this afternoon. Lake Superior is blue, black, and silver with 2ft waves from the south.
Oct 3: Lake Superior has silerv and dark gray 1ft waves from the SE this morning. There is a lighter cloud cover over the lake but dark overcast skies at the horizon and over head. Right now there is a light rain falling. Our low was 39 this morning and so far that is where the temperature is staying. Looks like an overall overcast cool fall day.
Oct 2: It was 36 this morning next to the lake and our afternoon high topped out at 45 degrees. Skies have been a dark gray overcast most of the day breaking into dark clouds occasionally. Lake Superior is has 1ft gray waves from the south. Walking the Pincushion Mountain trails this afternoon it was amazing to see that all the mature maple trees have dropped all their leaves in the last 2 days since I was last there.
Oct 1: It was 37 this morning with a high early the late morning of 52 before temps began to fall in the afternoon. Skies were cloudy with small patches of blue between the dark bottom low hanging cumulus clouds that filled the sky. Occasionally those clouds would drop light rain or a mist. Lake Superior was calm this morning and had 1ft gray and black waves this afternoon.
September 2020
Sep 30: It is already the last day of September and we are well into the fall season. Soon the leaves will begin detaching from the trees with increasing frequency. It would only take one heavy rain and a strong wind to strip the beautiful fall colors from the trees at this point. We dropped to 47 last night and are now in the mid 50's. Lake Superior is silver and black with just ripples from the SSW. Skies are cloudy but with small breaks of blue that let a little sunlight through unfiltered.
Sep 29: It was a mixed day with rain, partly cloudy skies, and overcast skies. Our temperature ranged from 50-58 degrees. Lake Superior only had small waves and there was a genlte breeze. Fall colors are extraordinary even thoug somw leaves are beginning to fall.
Sep 28: It rained during the night but we woke up to bright skies in the south across the lake and dark skies with clouds and overcast everywhere else. Lake Superior calmed down during the night. We have small silver waves from the south today. There is a little light rain at times. The color in the boreal forest is fabulous. Our low this morning was 49 and we are on our way to a high in the upper 50's.
Sep 27: After rain all day yesterday, today had blue skies, lots of sun, and strong gusty winds. Our low was 52 and our high was 60. The lake was calm this mornign but waves kept picking up all day. By nightfall we had 4ft waves from the south and heavy clouds have moved in. Got to see a couple ore freighters pass by. It was a great day for viewing fall colors which are either at peak or a couple days past peak.
Sep 26: There is really only one thing to say about today, rain. We had heavy overcast skies and rain all day long. Our low was 50 and our high was only 56. It was a good day to stay inside.
Sep 25: We had a low of 52 and a high of 59 today. The morning started with foggy skies and visiblity of less than a hundred yards on Lake Superior. The day ended with a thunderstorm and heavy rain as the lightning lit up the sky. Lake Superior was gray with 2-3ft waves from the SE. The air was surprisingly still. At times there was a light mist during the day.
Sep 24: The skies are becoming increasingly overcast this morning. It was a warm 53 overnight probably because of the increasing cloud cover. The waves on Gitche Gumi are increasing in intensity. Right now we have 3ft blue gray waves with green shadows breaking on the shore from the SE. Even without the sun, the fall colors are brilliant.
Sep 23: Lake Superior was glass and silent this morning against a hazy sky. Small waves developed in the afternoon and fog limited visibility on the lake. Our high was 68 today after a morning low of 50. The leaves seem particularly crisp in fall colors this year.
Sep 22: It was so fun listening to the waves break against the rocks last night. Guests tell us how relaxing this is but sometimes we become so accustomed to it that we lose awareness of this. Last night I took the time to really listen. This morning it was 49 after a high yesterday of 64 down next to the lake. Peak colors cannot be far away as I see golds, ambers, and reds now commonplace in the woods. Today is the equinox, 12 hours of daylight, 12 hours of night. From now on the days will be shorter than night and summer is well past us now at this latitude. Lake Superior has 3ft blue waves coming in straight from the SSE. Skies overhead are clear but hazy, no doubt an effect from the fires in the west.
Sep 21: The cool nights now seem to be the normal with an overnight low of 47. We have light hazy blue skies this morning. Lake Superior has silver blue 3ft waves from the south with navy and olive green shadows.
Sep 20: Our low this morning was 46 and our afternoon high was 64. It was a beautiful fall day with clear but slightly hazy skies. Lake Superior was a bluish gray with 2-3ft waves from the SE. It really looks like fall. We hiked Mount Josephine in Grand Portage yesterday and the color and view was spectacular. We could see the Susie Islands, Rock of Ages, Isle Royale, and even Sleeping Giant.
Sep 19: It is warmer out this morning at 44 degrees. Skies are a light gray overcast but the horizon line is white. Lake Superior has 3ft bluish gray waves from the SSE with dark green shadows.
Sep 18: It was 35 this morning with frost on the roofs and car windshields once again. Lake Superior was so still last night that I couldn't hear the waves and had a hard time sleeping. I saw an ore freighter pass by all lit up while I wasn't sleeping. Today the lake is still with only ripples on its smooth surface. We have claer blue skies and temperatures are rising quickly with the bright sun.
Sep 17: It was 37 this morning which is the coldest morning temp of the season so far. There was a heavy frost on the roofs of the cottages. The bright sun and clear skies warmed things up quickly and we had a high of 68. By afternoon we only had 6"-1ft roller waves from the south gently pushing on the rocks. We saw 2 ore freighters and a sail boat pass by. Guests have told us they have seen a couple black bears near the lake. I wonder why there are so many black bears near the shore. No one has been able to give me an answer as of yet.
Sep 16: It is a beautiful fall day. Lake Superior has regions of navy, blue gray, and blinding silver reflections with ripples from the south. There is a pleasant breeze and the temperature is 61. The skies have a haze but not heavy enough to obscure the sunlight or the bands of clouds over the big lake. The ferns no longer have any green in them and are either gold or brown.
Sep 15: Skies are hazy, cloudy and overcast today. Lake Superior is a dull bluish gray with 1-2ft waves coming straight in from the SSE against a white horizon. The low was 53 and we will not climb out of the 50's today.
Sep 14: Our high climbed to 68 yesterday. We dropped to 45 this morning. Skies are a hazy gray today. Lake Superior is a faint brownish gray with 1ft waves from the SE. We had a medium sized black bear try to pilfer through our garbage this morning. Joey scared him off when he returned home in his truck.
Sep 13: Another pretty warm night with a low of 50. So far our high is 66 degrees at 3pm. After the overcast burned off later this morning we have had mostly blue skies with a few isolated cumulus balls. Gitche Gumi has 2ft blue waves with green shadows from the SSW.
Sep 12: After a high of 62 yesterday clouds began to roll in during the evening hours. The cloud cover made the evening jet black in the darkness. Rain began around 3am. The rain and clouds kept us a warm 52 overnight. This morning we still have light rain and heavy gray overcast skies. Lake Superior has gray 1-2ft roller waves from the SSE that disappear into a white fog.
Sep 11: Not quite as cold this morning in the mid 40's. No frost. Once again we have clear blue skies. Lake Superior has a havy white horizon and a pale blue surface with 2-3ft roller waves from the south. My Aunt Martha arrived last night and I look forward to eating spaghetti and telling stories in front of a fire with Lake Superior as our backdrop.
Sep 10: We woke up with our first frost on our roofs down next to Lake Superior. Not a killing frost or freeze next to the now warm lake, but you can be sure there was a killing freeze further inland. Our morning low was 39 and our afternoon high was 58. It was a gorgeous fall day here in Cook County. Beautiful blue skies and a beautiful and calm blue lake refelcting those skies. I spent the afternoon at a cross country race monitoring the course and watching my duaghter and her teammates run through the boreal forest.
Sep 9: Gitche Gumi is still again today with just ripples on a montone gray surface. The air is still as well. The sky is a light gray overcast. Walking through the boreal forest today I can feel fall quickening its hold on Grand Marais. Each day the migration of color from the dark forest greens into golds, ambers, reds, and orabges accellerates. Our low this morning was 44 after a high of 55 yesterday. At 11am we are still at 49 degrees.
Sep 8: Lake Superior is calm today with only ripples on a gray textured surface. Skies are cloudy with no direct sunlight making its way through. We have a small breeze off the lake. Yesterday our high was 62 and our low dropped down to 41 here along the lake. I suspect there was frost further away from the lake. We have now made the transition where Lake Superior keeps us warmer than those areas away from the lake.
Sep 7: It felt warm early in the evening last night but then cooled down to 49 this morning. The sun and blue skies are warming things up nicely. We topped out at 68 yesterday here by the lake. We have 2ft dark blue waves with dark green shadows from the south. There is a crisp light blue horizon line and a brisk brreze from the south. There were gale warnings for Lake Superior last night and we saw 2 freighters taking the northern route. It appears the gales never materialized.
Sep 6: It was a llittle warmer this morning with 51 degrees as the low. We have small 6" pale blue waves from the SE brushing against the shore. The air is still. The skies overhead are a hazy blue. There is a fishing boat about a quarter mile off our shore this morning. The lake has a dark navy narrow band just below the white but fuzzy horizon line.
Sep 5: Lake Superior was surprisingly still today with just small waves whose direction was hard to discern. Overhead we had blue skies with groups of clouds passing by but never completely obscuring the sunlight. Our low was again 46 and we squueked out a high of 71 late in the afternoon. Each day you can see a little more color in the green forest. Today I noticed a young moose maple that had turned a reddish orange just overnight.
Sep 4: It is a beautiful early fall day here in Croftville. The skies are blue with large cumulus clouds varying from white to dark gray. We have a cool breeze after a low this morning of 46. I don't think we have seen the 40's here since June. Lake Superior is a steel gray with dark green shadows. We have 2-3ft waves from the SSW.
Sep 3: I thought yesterday was windy but today we had gale force winds as wave after wave of cloud fronts and brief rainstorms passed by. Our low was 55 and our high 66 down here by the lake. Lake Superior had 3-5ft waves from the south today. Up at Pincushion Mountain Skie Area we had some excitement for the first cross country meet of the year when a bear passed across the path of the leading girls pack of runners.
Sep 2: It is another windy day with strong gusts coming off Lake Superior. We have 2-4ft turquoise waves from the south. Skies are mostly clear with small cumulus clouds scattered about. It dropped to 51 again last night. I know there is plenty of warm days ahead but it really feels like fall today with smells, temperatures, and the beginning changes in the leaves.
Sep 1: Our low was 51 and our high 68 today. It was a windy day. The morning had a heavy dew. Cloud fronts came and went and several times it looked like it would rain but all we got were sprinkles. Lake Superior changed as rapidly as the skies but it had 2-3ft waves from the south most of the day. Last night I recall the waves just poinding the rocks on our shore.
August 2020
Aug 31: It began raining in the early morning hours and rained solid (hard at times) until 1pm. Winds hurled the rain almost horizontally at times. Our low was 58 which occurred about 11am. Since the skies partially cleared and the sun has began to peek through our temperatures are now rebounding in the 60's. Lake Superior has 2-3ft waves that were from the SE this morning but have switched to the SSW this afternoon. The waves are a transluscent green close to the shore but turn to a steel blue further out. The skies this morning were a dark gray but have turned to bands of clouds this afternoon with sun filtering through.
Aug 30: Our low was 55 this morning after a high yesterday of 74. It is only 65 at 3pm today and doesn't look like we will see 70 today. Lake Superior was still in the middle of the night but began to pick up with 2ft gray and green waves from the SE by morning. This afternoon the big lake is a silver blue with a narrow dark navy band close to the horizon. Skies are mostly cloudy with tiny patches of blue between the clouds. It has the look and feel of fall.
Aug 29: Lake Superior has 1ft roller waves from the SSW this morning. The lake is a monotone gray with mostly cloudy skies over the lake with sunlight peaking out in places. It feels and looks like fall this morning. Directly overhead we have partly cloudy skies with small cumulus cottonballs populating about half the blue sky. Our low this morning was 55 and was really good sleeping weather with the windows open and the breeze coming in after an evening shower last night. Today we have a brisk wind that appears to be coming off the hill.
Aug 28: It was an overcast humid day today with small rain showers througout the day. Lake Superior has 2-3ft gray waves with green shadows from the ESE. Our low was 62 and our high was 68. With each passing day the green of the boreal forest is showing more signs of red, orange, gold, and brown.
Aug 27: Lake Superior has 1ft blue waves from the south this morning against a hazy blue sky. Our low was 62 and at noon we have not yet made it to 70 degrees. There is a lot of humidity in the air and if it fully burns off I think the sun could warm things up significantly this afternoon. In spite of it only beging 68 degrees out, the sun feels hot.
Aug 26: We got a little rain overnight. This morning the skies were dark overcast. I took my daughter down to Two Harbors for a cross country proactice and it poured rain and lightning all the way down the shore but it never reached Grand Marais. Our low along the shore was 62 and our high this afternoon was 73. The overcast burned off to sun this afternoon. Lake Superior changed colors every time the skies changed. We had 2-3ft waves most of the day.
Aug 25: Yesterday was the warmest day of the summer topping out at 87. We started warm this morning hitting 73 degrees by 8am. However, Lake Superior stalled the rising temperatures leaving us with a high of 79 today. It was a mostly sunny day but the cool breeze off the lake kept temperatures down near the shore. The rest of Minnesota was in the 90's today.
Aug 24: Our low this morning was 62 but with clear blue skies temperatures are warming up quickly. We are already at 78 at 1pm. Lake Superior is a dark blue with 1ft waves from the south. There is a warm breeze coming off the hill. I am glad we are along the lake to keep things cooler. It looks like our high will be in the mid-80's today which could be the warmest day of the summer.
Aug 23: It is a light gray overcast eveywhere in the sky except at the horizon where there is a thin white band. The air is still and humid but our low was a comfortable 62. It looks like our high will not get our of the mid 60's today. Lake Superior has silver gray 1-2ft waves from the SE.
Aug 22: We had heavily overcast skies today which sandwiched our temperatures between 64 and 68 degrees. The lake had greenish gray 1-2ft waves from the SE. In spite of the overcast and almost a misty fog at times, there was a strong breeze most of the day.
Aug 21: 59 this morning. 71 this afternoon. Lake Superior is a bluish green with 2-3ft waves from the SE. Skiew were gray overcast this morning. The overcast has lightened this afternoon enough to allow shadows but it is still there. The horizon line has a gray band that try as I might, I cannot tell if that band is part of the lake or part of the sky.
Aug 20: A low of 59 this morning and our temp at 1pm is just 62 degrees. Lake Superior has 2-3ft grayish blue crashing waves from the SE. Except for a small white patch on the horizon in the SE, skies are a gray overcast after the fog raised earlier today. Walking through the boreal forest you can begin to see signs of fall around every corner. Tiny bits of burgandy, red, yellow, gold, and oranges can be seen in the foliage.
Aug 19: There are 2-3ft blue gray roller waves from the SE this morning. Our low is 59. Skies overhead are a gray overcast. The air is still.
Aug 18: We dropped to 54 last night and are only to 68 degrees at 4pm. There was heavy dew on the grass the kind you get used to seeing in the fall. Skies are mostly overcast and cloudy today. Every once is a while a blue patch might open up briefly. Lake Superior is a monochrome silver today with 1-2ft roller waves coming in straight from the SSE.
Aug 17: Our temperature range was 60-74 degrees today. We had a heavy dew this morning. We had mostly cloudy skies, some sun, and 2-3ft waves from the south.
Aug 16: Our high was 74 and our low 58 today. We had lots of sun. Lake Superior had greenish blue 3ft waves from the south with dark olive shadows. The horizon was crisp and white. The raspberries, Juneberries, and Thimbleberries are starting to dry up and I am beginning to see hints of color in the green foliage.
Aug 15: After a high of 78 yesterday we had an overnight low of 64. There was rain once in the late evening and lightning in the distance. Out on Lake Superior the waves swelled. We have 3-4ft bluish gray waves from the south this morning with a light gray overcast sky.
Aug 14: It is warm and humid today by Grand Marais standards. Our low was 66. We had a rain shower during the early morning hours. Currently we have 72 degrees at noon with hazy skies and an indistinct horizon. Lake Superior has 2-3ft bluish gray waves from the SE.
Aug 13: It was a beautiful warm summer day hear along Lake Superior with plenty of blue skies and sun against a blue lake and 1-2ft waves. Yet, there is a feeling in the boreal forest and in the air that fall is getting near.
SSE.
Aug 12: I woke up to the roar of Partridge Falls after sleeping comfortably in the coolest night air of our trip. We got picked up by my brother-in-law and it was quite the sight to see Lake Superior once again as we drove down the gently winding road of Old Highway 61. We leave the BWCA, the Pigeon River, and Partidge Falls physically exhausted but mentally refreshed.
Aug 11: We left the open water of South Fowl this morning taking the one mile Fowl Portage into the Pigeon River. With a minimal amout of work this portage would be a decent trail. Unfortunately, fallen trees, the lack of strategic board walks, and brush with thorns overgrowing the trail made it much more difficult that it needed to be. Canoeing on the Pigeon River was serene and beautiful and the wind protected us from insects. We had to walk the river with our canoes when we couldn't find in spite of some intense searching the historic Caribou and Big Rock Portages. Our canoe trip ended at Partridge Falls wear we enjoyed the cool water running over our feet, the mist coming off the falls, the roar of the water, and the impressive natural beauty of the falls.
Aug 10: The rain of yesterday afternoon cleared out the humidity and heat to make for a pleasant day with high clouds. We tackled Mountain, the Lily Lakes, the Great Cherry Portage, Moose, the Moose Portage, North Fowl, and South Fowl before camping on the island with a sand bar. We looked forward to relaxing and swimming on the sand bar but we also wanted to go visit Goose Rock on the far end of South Fowl and we didn't have time for both. We chose the latter. Getting there was made easier by a strong wind to our back. That wind aided our progress all day long. We banked on that the wind would subside later in the day after our amazing hike up Goose Rock. The view from Goose Rock was incredible and when we finally made our way down the winds smiled on us and subsided for our canoe paddle back to the sand bar. Since we had a shorter than normal day, we sat and enjoyed an extended happy hour, a fire, and a feast.
Aug 9: It finally cooled off and we got a good night sleep before canoeing Rose Lake and then taking Long Portage into into Rove Lake. The 2 mile portage took 3.5 hours for us to complete. From there we traveled through Watap with it's amazing bluffs and portaged into Mountain finding a campsite just after the rain began coming down. For the next 3 hours the rain came down hard. We manged to set a canoe up for a table, erect a tarp over it that kept us out of the rain and laughed, drank, and told stories while filling our water bottles from the water that pooled in the tarp that kept us from not getting any wetter than completely soaked.
Aug 8: This was the hottest and most humid day of our adventure as we portgaed in Magnetic Lake and then made our way across Gunflint Lake. We stopped on a sandy beach on the east end of Gunflint and took a long lunch break and swim to cool ourselves before portaging through Little Gunflint, Little North, North, South, and Rat Lake. On the Height of Land Portage betweeen North and South we sprinkled each other with wet cedar sprigs, professed the Voyaguer's vow to not kiss another Voyaguer's wife if she protested, delcared ourselves Men (and Woman) of the North, and toasted ourselves with a bottle of Irish Cream. Hot and exhausted, we pitched our tent on a campsite between Rat and Rose Lake. Many of us lay awake for quite some time until it was finally cool enough to sleep.
Aug 7: We embarked this morning from Gull Lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail after spending the night in a bunkhouse at Gunflint Lodge. There are 6 of us going on a 5 night trip following the border route from Lake Saganaga to Partridges Falls just short of Fort Charlotte and the Grand Portage. Today was warm and humid as we made our way up the Granite River and through Maraboeuf, Gneiss, and Granite Lakes. We were disappointed to find no campsites open on Clove Lake and forced to make one more portage into the Pine River. Before the Portage we noted that water levels looked about 18-24" low on Clove Lake and that the rapids coming into Clove were just dry rocks. As we portaged out of Clove we found the next piece of the Pine River 4-5ft low leaving a huge mud bed before finally reaching the water. Luckily the campsite on this stretch was open. Unluckily, we had to cross another huge mud bed before reaching the open campsite high above the water and mud.
Aug 6: It was warm last night with a low of 59 degrees but for some reason it felt warmer than that. Maybe it was because I got cold with lows in the low 50's the last couple nights. I guess it is all comparative. So far we have 69 degrees at 2pm. Skies are clear and light blue with lots of sun. I expect that sun will warm things up later toward evening. Lake Superior is a deep blue with 2ft waves from the south. The horizon over the lake is hazy and indistinct.
Aug 5: Our high yoday was 73 after a morning low of 52. I actually had to get up and close the windows last night and turn off the ceiling fan. Fall was in the air. Today we have hazy blue skies with cloud banks and sun. Lake Superior is gryish blue with a textured surface and 1-2ft waves from the south.
Aug 4: The high along the lake was only 72 today and many times it felt much colder than that. If not for the sun peaking out that cool breeze off the lake would have made conditions outrigth cold. The low was 55 this morning and I find myself now on my walks looking for signs of fall. The inner leaves of the birch trees have already began to brown and drop. You can see many of the annual begin to dry out already. I know there are hot days ahead but you can still not deny you can feel fall is on its way.
Aug 3: Lake Superior has small light blue waves from the SE against a hazy and cloudy horizon. Overhead we have mostly cloudy skies with some sun and blue making its way through. We were 60 degrees again this morning and are at 66 at 3pm. I saw a dead coyote on Highway 61 yesterday. That is the first coyote I have ever seen in Cook County.
Aug 2: It stayed in the 60's all day today with a low of 60 this morning and a high of 69 this afternoon along the lake. There was a lot of cloud cover, even dark cloud cover at times but we didn't have any precipitation today. Lake Superior had 2ft gray waves from the south. There were strong winds this morning that turned to just a light breeze this afternoon.
Aug 1: Our low was 60 and our high 73 today. Mostly today it rained. Sometimes it rained hard. Sometimes it rained really hard. The showers were frequent but unpredictable. A lot of bicyclists and walkers got soaked on Croftville Road today. Lake Superior had a freighter pass by tonight going to Duluth. The lake was glass this morning but ended the day with 1-2ft waves from the SSE.
July 2020
Jul 31: Lake Superior was glass this morning. Every single rock could be seen on the lake bed. Skies were clear but with a light fog over the lake that obscured the horizon. The air was still. Our low this morning was 59 and our afternoon high was 81. There is a foz that is barking loudly in the forest tonight.
Jul 30: It is a picture perfect summer day with blue skies, plenty of sun and a few clouds. Our morning low was 62 and our afternoon high topped out at 80. Lake Superior was blue with 1-ft smooth waves from the SSE. We saw mirages at the horizon and kayakers near the shore.
Jul 29: Starting out at 60 degrees this morning we have slowly warmed up into the mid-70's this afternoon. Lake Superior has a smooth light blue surface with small waves coming in straight from the SSE. Overhead we have a series of cloud fronts passing by with small amounts of sun poking out occasionally. We have ripe raspberries on our paths and I noticed that some of the thimbleberries are are beggining to ripen.
Jul 28: We had a low of 60 this morning and a high of 82 this afternoon before the rain cooled things off. Skies and the colot of Lake Superior kept changing all day.
Jul 27: We had a comfortable 62 this morning with a cool breeze after a high of 82 yesterday afternoon with the high humidity. The humidity is gone today. We have claer blue skies and a silver blue Lake Superior with 1-2ft waves from the south. For the first time in many days we have a distinct horizon line. Looks like it is going to be a picture perfect summer day along the North Shore.
Jul 26: It is 66 degrees this morning which is a pretty warm overnight low here next to Lake Superior. Lake Superior is silver blue with 1ft rolling waves from the south. Overhead the sky is hazy but not heavy enough to stop sunlight from coming through. There is a light breeze but I cannot make out the direction as it swirls about trees and buildings. If the haze burns off, I suspect today could be into the 80's.
Jul 25: It is humid today. It was heavily overcast and misting this morning. We could hear the lake but could not see it with essentially zero visibility over Superior. The sun burned some of the fog off over the land in the afternoon but not over the lake. We could at least see the 1-2ft waves from the south breaking against the shore. Out low was 59 this morning and so far we are at 73 at 3pm.
Jul 24: Lake Superior was still, glass, and silent this morning. Our low was 56 and the air was still as well. In the afternoon a breeze came along and made things feel cool in spite of our 76 degree high. Skies had a light overcast in the morning and was replaced with partly cloudy skies in the afternoon.
Jul 23: Our morning low was 54 and our late afternoon high was 77. Lake Superior was mostly calm and smooth with small waves from the SE.
Jul 22: Wow, did it rain in the early evening and through most of the night. That is probably the largest single rainfall we have seen in Cook County so far this year. It was a long staedy rain coming down hard at times. Today we had morning clouds with the sun cracking through once in a while. Afternoon turned to mostly blue skies. Lake Superior had 2-3ft gray waves from the SE that turned blue in the afternoon. Our low was 58 and our high was 69 early this evening.
Jul 21: It rained and drizzled all day today with gray overcast skies. Lake Superior was a dark gray with 2ft waves from the south. Our low was 53 and our high was 61.
Jul 20: The low was 53 this morning and our afternoon high was only 64 witha cool gentle breeze coming off the lake. The thimbleberries now have their berries fully formed although they are still completely green. It was surprising to see how quickly they have formed over the last couple days. The Juneberries are beginning to change color and the immature elderberries are bright red right now. Summer is in full swing so I expect to begin to see signs of fall very soon here in the north land. Lake Superior was a pale blue with 2ft waves from the south.
Jul 19: It rained steady last night and at times heavy. The lightning show was amazing. It was surprising to see how clear we could see the ligthning strikes out on the lake. Many of the strikes were more horizontal than vertical. And yet, the muffled thunder and the long time delays before we heard the thunder told us they were 20-30 miles out on the lake. During the early morning hours the skies cleared. We woke up to clear skies, 62 degrees, still air, and 2-3ft waves from the SSW. Then by 10am a front came in with high winds the rest of the day. Our high this afternoon was 78 but it felt much cooler with the wind.
Jul 18: The air was still today. Lake Superior was a bluish gray with 2ft waves from the SSE after steady rain during the night. Skies were lightly overcast but turned dark toward evening. We can hear the thunder and see the lightning approaching. Rain is again on the way. Our morning low was 59 and our afternoon high was 79.
Jul 17: 6 cottages to clean and 6 check-ins. It was a such a busy day I did not even look at Lake Superior today but our guests sure did. The low was 61 and after stayng in the mid 70's all afternoon it spiked briefly to 82 at 7pm. Lake Superior had 1ft waves from the SSE.
Jul 16: Our low this morning was 60 and our high so far on this cloudy and overcast afternoon is 74. Lake Superior has 1ft grayish blue waves from the SE.
Jul 15: Our low this morning was 56. Lake Superior had 2-3ft waves from the SSE which dropped down to 2ft waves by the end of the day. We had popcorn rain storms passing through all day long. With each change in cloud cover came a change in lake color as well. The sun came out in full strength later in the afternoon to top our briefly at 80 before dropping quickly into the low 70's just a half hour later.
Jul 14: There were thunderstorms with rain lighting up the sky last night. That rain continued on through the morning and into the early afternoon. We dropped again to 58 here by the lake and climbed only to 73 this afternoon. This morning we had 2-3ft waves from the south but by the sounds last night they were quite a bit bigger with the crashing of the waves rivaling the sounds of the thunderclaps. Lake Superior was gray most of the day but became blue when the sky turned blue in late afternoon.
Jul 13: It was a beautiful summer day yesterday with mostly cloudy skies but still plenty of sun making it through and a high of 75. We dropped down to 58 overnight making it comfortable sleeping weather. The blue skies and sun are warming temps up quickly this morning. Over the lake we have a fuzzy white horizon line and lines of cumulus clouds. Lake Superior has ripples from the ESE with a series of white and dark blue horizontal bands out towards the horizon.
Jul 12: It was a little cooler yesterday with a high of 79 and a little cooler this mornign with a low of 62. Overhaed we have clear blue skies. There is a white horizon line. Lake Superior is calm and a light blue. It is like glass close to shore but has a textured surface further out. The ravens stole a small bird's nest Teresa had put in one of our flower planters next to the office door, They are not only noisy but quite bold as well.
Jul 11: Yesterday early evening we saw 88 degrees down here next to the lake. It easily was our warmest day of the summer so far and may be the warmest we will see for the rest of the summer, too. Our low this morning is 65. The waves from yesterday have dissipated this morning to just small waves (ripples) from the south. Superior is pale blue but has a few dark blue horizontal lines running through it. Skies have a light white haze this morning with cumulus clouds behind the haze. I expect the strong sun will burn off the haze by mid-morning.
Jul 10: A cool breeze began blowing through out bedroom windows last night. It felt good after a muggy afternoon yesterday with a high of 77. Our low was a warm 65 this morning but the breeze still made sleeping quite comfortable. Lake Superior has 2ft waves from the south. It is blue with dark olive shadows and silver highlights. We can see the horizon for the first time this week. It has thin white clouds over it. Over us are blue skies with small cottonball cumulus clouds dotting the sky.
Jul 9: Wow, what a lightning show we had last night over Lake Superior. Eventually the rain came down too. For awhile it was coming down hard but most of the night it was just a steady light rain we could hear. This mornng the lake had 3ft waves from the SE. The lake surface was a blusih green. We had a low this morning of 63 after a high of 82 in the early evening.
Jul 8: We have white overcast skies today with a gentle breeze. It was 63 this morning after a high yesterday of 83. With the overcast skies I doubt it will make it into the 80's today. Lake Superior is a bluish with 1-2ft waves from the SE. We have about a 1 mile visibility before the lake disappears into the white overcast. The overcast is light enough that the sun is casting shadows.
Jul 7: We had a heavy rainstorm in the early evening last night. It served to clear out the fog over the lake that had limited visibilty to around 100ft most of the day. Our low was 60 degrees this morning. Lake Superior is a light blue with 1-2ft waves from the south. Skies overhead are clear but there is a band of white haze at the horizon.
Jul 6: We has 1-2ft waves from the SSE this morning. It was good to hear the sounds of the lake. Lake Superior is gray with very limited visibility (sometimes less than 100ft). You can feel the humidity in the air. The fog overhead burned off in the afternoon and temps jumped up into the low 80's.
Jul 5: Lake Superior is still. We had a good soaking rain overnight. Our afternoon high was hot at 84 degrees after a warm morning low of 62.
Jul 4: After a high of 78 yesterday afternoon, we started our day today at 62 degrees. Lake Superior is calm with a few ripples in it. You can see all the rocks beneath the water on the lake bed. The sky is a clear hazy blue. The horizon is not visible as the water blurs into a white haze.
Jul 3: Lake Superior was silent and glass during the night. It is a pale blue with ripples today with a few thin dark blue horizontal lines passing through it. The sky is clear and blue and our air is still and 71 degrees at noon. It feels like it could be a vrey warm afternoon.
Jul 2: Our low this morning was 60 and our high so far today is a 7pm and 80 degrees by the shore. It is humid and all that humidity makes it biggy, uncomfortably warm, and with limited visibility over the lake. Lake Superior is a pale blue and mostly calm.
Ju1 1: With a high of 74 yesterday late afternoon we cooled down to 59 last night. The breeze was comfortable and for a while I was actually kind of cold. However, overnight the dewpoints began rising making it quite humid and uncomfortable in spite of the temperature. I am sure anyone reading that I am complaining about humidity when it is 59 degrees out is thinking, "what a wimp" and you are right. Living in Grand Marais next to Lake Superior has made me completely intolerant of humidity and heat. This morning I could barely see the lake from my bedroom window with all the fog. That fog and white overcast looks like it will continue through the day. Visibility on Lake Superior is about 100ft or less.
June 2020
Jun 30: Our low is 59 this morning and we woke up to a strong but brief rainstorm. All through the night I could see the sky light up from lightning to our south. We waited all day yesterday for the rain to reach us but it never did. After the squall we now have heavily overcast gray skies and a gray lake with intermittent fog. Lake Superior has gray 2-3ft waves from the SE. We had our second wedding at Croftville Road Cottages yesterday. It was just a handful of people down next to the beach. They were happy the rain didn't arrive. Our high yesterday was 74.
Jun 29: We woke up to 60 degrees this morning after an 80 degree high yesterday. It is fun to hear 2ft waves from the SE this morning after Lake Superior being silent more often than not the last couple weeks. The lake is gray reflecting the gray sky. There is rain to our south and our west but nothing is happening yet in Grand Marais. We look forward to some rain but Lake Superior has a way of swallowing up rain storms and leaving us often with nothing. We watched an ore freighter passing about 3 miles out in the late afternoon heading toward Duluth. The crew must have thought a storm was coming and chose the safer northern route.
Jun 28: The air is still. The sky is blue. The big lake is calm, quiet, and pale blue. We have no clouds today. The crows are very loud this morning against the silence of the lake. Our low this morning was 59 after an early evening high of 84 yesterday before a small lake breeze cooled the air quickly.
Jun 27: Our low this morning was a very warm 66. The air is still and Lake Superior is still with only ripples on the light blue water. There are thin white clouds over the lake but we have clear blue skies overhead. The temperature spiked to 85 degrees in the early evening hours yesterday after being only in the 60's most of the day. These late in the day high temperatures seem to be a trend this summer. The usual pattern of the high for the day in mid afternoon followed by a slow cooling is not the pattern for this summer. The lilacs are in full bloom right now in Grand Marais. That seems to be abot a week earlier than normal.
Jun 26: Once again we had a low of 57 with partly cloudy skies about half blue and about half big white cumulus clouds. It is 68 at 3pm which is so far our high. Lake Superior has 1ft waves from the south on a blue surface with many different textures. The horizon line is fuzzy with a white haze extending above it.
Jun 25: Yesterday was a blur. It is one of those rare days in the summer when we had no cleaning to do so we planned to take care of many tasks we don't have time to do on days with a cleaning load. It was a warm day with a low of 57 and a high of 78 but a change in the breeze and the temperature would drop almost immediately over 10 degrees and with another change in breeze the temperature would jump right back up. We had mostly blue but slightly hazy skies. Lake Superior was a bluish gray.
Jun 24: It was a warm 57 last night and we are at 68 at 10am. It could be a warm day here by the lake. We have a cool breeze and mostly blue skies that a scattered with a few clouds. Lake Superior has a blue highly textured surface with small waves from the south.
Jun 23: The weather has changed. After many days of cold air and a calm Lake Superior, it warmed up overnight and the wind has begun to stir up some waves on the big lake. We have have 74 at 2pm after a temp this morning of 62. Skies are mostly cloudy with patches of blue. Lake Superior is a blue gray with 1ft waves on a highly textured surface from the ESE.
Jun 22: We squeeked up to 71 late yesterday afternoon but we were back to 51 this morning. There is a cool breeze but we still only have rippled on Guitche Gumi. There is plenty of sun but if you are not directyl in the sun you feel cold.
Jun 21: On the longest day of the year, it was 51 this morning and a late afternoon high of 64. Lake Superior was a pale blue with a light fog or haze covering it most of the day. When the sun peeked out it felt hot but the rest of the time it felt cold. We hiked up the Kadunce River trail and were lucky enough to spot a Pink Lady Slipper a little off the trail. There were a couple bouts of rain through the day.
Jun 20: It was an unusual day with the lake staying calm all day today and had only ripples from the SSE. A haze stayed over the lake making the horizon fuzzy. The lake was a pale blue. Our morning low was a warm 57 degrees with our high climbing to 70. The air was still and we could hear the voices of the boaters and kayakers passing by on the lake.
Jun 19: We had a staedy rain overnight and Teresa even saw a little lightning over the lake. We woke up to fog but that broke up and we now have partly cloudy skies with cumulus clouds. Our low was 54 and we will likely move into the 70's this afternoon. We are at 63 degrees at noon with a silver blue lake and 1ft waves from the south.
Jun 18: Wow, it warmed up to 79 by Lake Superior late yesterday afternoon and only cooled off to 54 this morning. But the fog/haze over Superior never left today and highs only saw the mid 60's this afternoon. Lake Superior is mostly calm and pale blue with only small smooth waves from the SSE. We never did see the horizon line today.
Jun 17: Lake Superior is calm this morning with a haze over the lake that limits visibility to a couple hundred yards. Overhead we have clear blue skies which likely means the haze will burn off later this morning. The air is still and we are at 55 which is our overnight low. Without the noise of the lake you can really hear all the birds calling out.
Jun 16: It was a much warmer night with a low of 54. Lake Superior has 2ft waves coming straight in from the SSE. The lake is a bluish gray. We have mostly hazy blue skies with some high clouds. The horizon line is blurry and white with a dark thin blue line below it.
Jun 15: Even with all the sun yesterday we managed to only climber to 68 briefly yesterday. Once again we dropped into the 40's last night and we are at 58 at 2pm today. There is no sun today. The skies are covered with a white overcast and the air is chilly (perhaps due to high humidity). Lake Superior is a greenish gray with 1-2ft waves from the SE. There is a triple line at the horizon and I cannot tell which is the actual horizon line.
Jun 14: Our high yesterday only made it to 66 degrees down here by the lake. This morning we were at 44 before the sun and clear blue skies started warming things up slowly. We have 2ft blue waves from the SE this morning against a clear crisp white horizon line. There is a gentle breeze off the lake and at 10am we still haven't seen 50 degrees.
Jun 13: It is a quiet still morning on Lake Superior. We have bright blue clear skies. We have a pale blue still lake with a surface of glass. The air is still and now warming up from an overnight low of 44. The apple trees are now in full bloom.
Jun 12: With a morning low of 43 this is a beautiful crisp summer morning. We have clear blue skies, a bright sun, and a pale blue Lake Superior against a white horizon. There are only ripples on the lake from the SSE. We can see gusts of wind move across the surface.
Jun 11: It was 49 last night here by the lake. This morning we have partly cloudy skies with rather thin looking cumulus clouds moving past in a sea of blue sky. Lake Superior is a blusih gray with 1ft waves from the south. The horizon is crisp with a light blue sky and a thin navy blue band on the lake side. We have a strong breeze from the west.
Jun 10: Our low was 48 and our high is right now at 6pm with 63 degrees. There was rain coming down overnight and for much of the morning. A few small showers popped up this afternoon between bouts of sun. It was quite windy this morning but the breeze has settled down this afternoon. Lake Superior is a grayish blue with small waves from the south.
Jun 9: Down to 44 last night after somehow managing to climb to 67 by early yesterday evening. Right now it is 57 degrees at noon on a gorgeous June day with light blus skies overhead and a light white haze over Lake Superior near the horizon. Lake Superior is a dark blue with navy shadows and 1-2ft waves from the SE. There is a cool breeze in the air although the direction continues to change.
Jun 8: The word is that it is in the 90's in southern Minnesota today. Here in Croftville we currently have 60 degrees and sun at 2pm. Lake Superior is blue with navy shadows with 1-2ft waves from the SE which have calmed down since this morning. The horizon has 2 thin white lines just below it.
Jun 7: It got cold last night dropping to a low of 44. At 1pm we are now at a whopping high temperature for the day of 46. We have had a steady rain, heavy at times, all morning. The dark gray skies have continued into the afternoon. Lake Superior is calm with only ripples from the SE.
Jun 6: Our low was 50 tonight and our high was 63 today. Lake Superior was mostly calm with small waves from the SSW. The skies were a mixture today waking up with sun and cyclcling through clouds and overcast several time today.
Jun 5: We traveled to Duluth yesterday for one of the dreaded shopping trips on the hill. We left Duluth at 6pm and it was 84. It was still 80 in Two Harbors and then temps started to fall steadily. By the time we got to Grand Marais it was 56. Our low this morning was 54 after an overnight rain. Skies turned blue this morning and the sun is warming thins up. Lake Superior has 1-2ft choppy blue waves from the SSW. The horizon line is distinct but has a white haze above it. The geese kept me awake for part of the night, of course yelling at them would only make them louder out there on the water. It is amazing how all voices carry across the surface of the water when it is still like it was during the night.
Jun 4: The low overnight was a warm 51 degrees but every once in a while a breeze off the lake made things feel chilly. We are at 54 this morning. Lake Superior is a still pale blue against a white horizon with a slightly overcast white sky overhead. The Canada Geese are noisy as flocks pass by. Last night a couple groups bedded down on the big lake for the night just in front of our resort making a lot of squacking at times.
Jun 3: An update from yesterday: We went for a mile walk at 3pm yesterday. It was 63 degrees when we left. It was 81 when we returned. A warm front passed through and turned the wind to no longer be off the lake. What a dramatic turn of events. Today it was in the 50's when we woke up and only made climber to the low 70's this afternoon. When the wind would switch from the lake, everything cooled rapidly. We have ahd a mixture of blue skies, overcast, and clouds. With each change in the sky came a corresponding change in the realtively calm lake.
Jun 2: After the rain of yesterday, today we have a good breeze with sun and clouds this morning and overcast skies moving in in the afternoon. The lake waves have changed direction to the south or SSW. We still have 2ft waves. Ths morning the lake was a brilliant blue but has changed to a pale gray as overcast skies have come in. Our low was 45 and our high was 64 around 1pm before the overcast skies stalled the rising temperatures. With each rain the boreal forest becomes thicker and darker green. The dstance we can see into the forest diminishes each passing day.
Jun 1: It looks and feels like rain in the air today. We have been waiting all morning for it to begin. Lake Superior has 2ft gray waves from the SE. The horizon has a thin dark blue line against a dark sky. It was a frigid 41 late last night but has been slowly warming up since. It is 55 at noon.
May 2020
May 31: Our high today was 68 which is warmer than I expected considering that it was still in the mid 50's by mid afternoon. But, things warmed up quickly in the late afternoon while we were hiking the Devil Track river gourge. There were ltos of people on that portion of the Superior Hiking Trail and the parking lot on Lindskog Road was full. Everyone we met was considerate about social distancing except one young boy about 9-10 who had stumbled hiking with his dad. We could hear him crying long before and after we saw him making his way back to the parking lot. He was still hiking, though, and was a cute kid. Lake Superior was the roughest I had seen in many days with 2-3ft steel blue waves from the SE.
May 30: What a beautiful Saturday after a cold evening last night. Our low was 47 yesterday evening and things warmed up over night. We woke up to 52 this morning and are now at 55 at noon. Skies are partly cloudy. About half is blue with big white cumulus clouds dotting the sky. Lake Superior is calm with a pale blue textured surface and a pale blue horizon line.
May 29: Our low was 53 this morning after a high of 71 here by the lake yesterday afternoon. It doesn't look like we will match that high today with only a high of 65 at 4pm so far. We have mostly cloudy skies with patches of blue. Lake Superior is gray with ripples on the surface. You can watch the gusts of wind move across the lake. The aspen are now leafing out. In Duluth the aspens are still that pale spring green color but are fully leafed out. We are not too far behind that, maybe another week.
May 28: Our high yesterday was 68 once the hazy skies burned off. The fog over the lake never completely lifted. Overnight we had 48 and we woke up to heavy overcast skies. There is a white horizon line suggesting better weather to the south. Here we have still skies and a still lake with just ripples from the south. Rain feels like it is in the air.
May 27: It is relatively warm and muggy by Grand Marais standards. Our overnight low was 52 degrees. Lake Superior is still and pale blue this morning with fog over the lake. It looks like the sun will burn off the fog and overcast given enough time today. Last night we had a little lightning and a little thunder. That is the first time this spring I recall seeing or hearing either and it is almost the end of May. We also had a slow soaking rain overnight.
May 26: It was foggy and overcast all day today with small bouts of light rain. We never did see the horizon over the lake. Lake Superior was a greenish gray with 1ft waves from the SE. Our low was 48 and our high was in the upper 50's but it never felt that warm all day long.
May 25: It felt humid and cold this morning even though the low was only 49 degrees. Skies are gray overcast and our highs will not make it out of the 50's today. Lake Superior is a brownish gray with small waves from the SE and a hazy horizon line.
May 24: The high:66 at 6pm, the low: 46 at 6am. It was a beautiful spring day along the shore of Lake Superior. We had small waves from the SE, blue water, and mixed skies. Guests saw fishing boats and kayakers pass by today.
May 23: It was 27 years ago today that I proposed to Teresa on the beach in Florence, Oregon while Stan and Diane babysitted Aubrey at the Willamette Valley Folk Festival. Such a different setting than the shore of Lake Superior but both are so incredibly beautiful. The one thing I don't miss is getting sand in our picnic lunches. The closest we get to sand here are the pebbles on the beaches. So far the wind hasn't been able to pick the pebbles up and throw them in our food. We have an overcast today in Croftville. We have 2ft gray waves from the SE breaking on the rocks. Our low this morning was 49 and the temperature appears to have topped out at 59.
May 22: We had our first 70 plus day yesterday with a high of 74 late in the day. The dandelions are now blooming and I can even see daffodils now blooming in yards. When we lived in Oregon I remember the daffodils blooming on Feb 1. We were at 47 this morning. Lake Superior is blue and has small textured waves from the SE. Skies are blue with a few high cirrus clouds floating across the lake.
May 21: Our low was 47 this morning and our high so far this afternoon is 67. There are clear blue skies above a clear blue lake with a breeze out of the south. Lake Superor is mostly calm today.
May 20: Our low was 48 this morning, our high so far is 68 at 6pm. It is a beautiful May day in Croftville. The grass continue to green up and more an more buds can be seen on trees. The gooseberries are now completely leafed out. Blue skies and a blue Lake Superior with 2ft waves from the SE.
May 19: Lake Superior had 2ft dark blue waves from the SE with a smattering of whitecaps. The horizon line is crisp and white with the skies turning blue as you move up from the horizon. It was still 55 degrees at 1am this morning with a low of 50 and a high of 61 this afternoon. It is strange weather to have such warm nights.
May 18: There are blue skies today with high hanging cirrus clouds obscurring the sun at times. Lake Superior has 2ft gray waves with silver highights and a bluish tint further out from shore. The lake has a dark blue backdrop at the horizon toward the Upper Peninsula. It was still 59 degrees when I woke up and temps have actually dropped a bit through the morning. We are at 53 at noon. With temps staying in the 50's overnight, it was warm. In fact, that is even a warm night for July and August.
May 17: Happy Syttende Mai. Warm temperatures continue along the North Shore with a balmy low of 44 and a high this afternoon of 61. The sun burned holes in the overcast skies at times today but for the most part it was overcast with a dark blue horizon across the lake. I hear that south of here it has been raining all day. Lake Superior has been a purplish gray with 2-3ft waves from the SE.
May 16: It is amazing to see how quickly our grass has greened up after the rain a couple days ago. Lake Superior this mornin is smooth with small waves from the SE and a pale grayish blue. Skies are somewhere between cloudy and overcast. The horizon is indistinct and bluish. The temperature climbed to 60 degrees late yesterday afternoon and dropped down to a balmy 40 for our low.
May 15: It was a warm night with a low of 44 and it appears our high this afternoon was 51. The gray overcast skies kept it warm during the night and is keeping the sun from heating things up during the day. Lake Superior is a pale gray with 1ft waves from the SE on a highly textured surface. The lake and the sky megre seamlessly at a hazy horizon.
May 14: There was rain overnight, drizzle this morning, overcast skies in the afternoon, and heavy fog this evening. Lake Superior had 2-3ft waves coming straight in from the SSE. The water looked dirty brown near the shore. It either rained heavier than I thought last night with a lot of runoff, or the waves churned up sediment on the bed of the lake. I suspect the former. Our low was 42 and our high was 48.
May 13: It was 29 this morning after a high of 56 yesterday afternoon. Lake Superior is a pale blue this morning with ripples on the surface from the SSE brushing against the shore. There is a light gray overcast in the skies and we arre at 42 degrees at 11am.
May 12: Lake Superior is pale blue and calm this morning with only ripples on the surface. The horizon provides a white backdrop against the lake. Overhead we have blue skies as the sun rises brightly out of the east. Our low this morning in Croftville was 30 degrees.
May 11: Lake Superior had 2-3ft steel blue waves with a few whitecaps and navy shadows from the SE today. Skies were mostly sunny with white clouds passing by. We hit a very pleasant 53 today after a morning low of 29. The aspen are beginning to show buds.
May 10: Our low was 38 and our high 55 today with overcast skies. Lake Superior had 1-2ft gray waves from the SE. A fox came trotting down Croftvile Road this afternoon and then scooted up our hill. I am guessing he was looking to play with our cat but she was sleeping on the porch.
May 9: Another cold morning with a low of 27 but things warmed up and we had a high if 51. The 1-2ft waves are now out of the south. Skies are blue with white cumulus clouds passing by.
May 8: Yikes! It was 26 this morning and we had an inch of accumlated snow last night. The snow was gone by 10am but the cold remained. It is only 35 at noon. The waves are small rollers from the SE this morning. Skies are mostly cloudy with patches of blue. Lake Superior is dark blue.
May 7: Blue skies, a blue lake, and lots of wind today in Croftville. Waves are 2-3ft from the south. Our morning low was 32 and it is warming up very slowly. There are large cumulus balls passing gently by in the deep blue sky.
May 6: There was a low of 33 and a high of 52 today in Croftville. We had sunny blue skies with a few clouds. Lake Superior had only small waves from the SE. There are some boeys in the lake nerar our resort. More than likely the commercial fishermen have set their nets out on the lake.
May 5: Lake Superior has 1-2ft gray waves from the SE this morning against a hazy horizon. Skies are a mixture of clouds and a thin overcast. It was chilly this morning with only 31 degrees. Yesterday afternoon temps dropped into the 30's after being in the 40's in the morning. The wind off the lake really kept us cold. Yeterday I notices that the gooseberries have now leafed out.
May 4: It is another cool day by the lake only the blue skies have been replaced by a white overcast. Our low was 35 this morning and the 2-3ft grayish green waves have changed directions now coming from the SE.
May 3: It was a cold, sunny, and windy spring day along Lake Superior. Our high was only 49 after a remarkable high of 68 yesterday (our warmest day of the season yet). We had bands of clouds move quickly through in the afternoon. This was met each time with light rain falling amid the sunshine. It was the right conditions for rainbows but I never saw one. We did yardwork with family all day long. We got all the porches and walkways swept, the lawn raked, and the patio and lawn furniture brought out from storage. Now we just nee to wait for summer.
May 2: The rain ended during the night and we woke up to clear blue skies overhead and a white haze over Lake Superior. Lake Superior has 1-3ft waves now from the SSW with many different bands of colors from copper to blue to green to brown. Our low this morning was 43.
May 1: We had a low of 38 and a high of 60 today with clear blue skies from morning through mid afternoon. The skies then became overcast and around dark a steady rain started coming down. Lake Superior was still today which has been unusual over this spring. We could see and hear loons and other water fowl swimming around out on the calm waters. Some of them are waiting for the ice to go out on the inland lakes. The calm lake allowed the light fog to form above its surface for most of the day.
April 2020
Apr 30: We had a low of 42 this morning and we are already at 49 degrees at noon. Skies are blue, the big lake is blue with 1-2ft blue waves from the SE.
Apr 29: It was 42 this morning and we had a high of 61 this afternoon. This was our first 60 degree day of the spring. We had blue skies and a bright blue Lake Superior with 1-2ft waves from the SE.
Apr 28: Rain began around noon and it looks like our noontime temperature of 44 is where the warmth will top out today. Lake Superior has 1-2ft greenish gray waves from the SE against a hazy dark gray horizon.
Apr 27: It was lightly raining in the morning along Lake Superior and a hazy skied afternoon. Our low this morning was 36 and our high made it to 53. Lake Superior had grayish blue 2-3ft waves from the SE with a fuzzy dark blue horizon line.
Apr 26: It was a warm night with temps getting down to 38 and quickly rebounding this morning with the clear blue skies and bright rising sun. Lake Superior's 2-3ft waves continue from the SE and are blue with dark olive shadows and silver highlights.
Apr 25: It was a beautiful spring day in Croftville. Later in the afternoon a haze/fog developed over the lake that is a familiar summer feature. We climbed to 56 degrees by the lake after a morning low of 32. Lake Superior had blue 3ft rolling waves from the SE. We had a fishing boat and a sea kayak go by our shore.
Apr 24: After a high of 46 yesterday we dropped to 31 overnight and woke up to 35 degrees. It looked like rain was on the way last night but we have woke up to clear blue skies and a bright sun this morning. Lake Superior is a brilliant blue with 2ft waves from the SE. The pussy willows are budding. Snow has now diasappeared everywhere near the lake except on north sides of hills, buildings, and evergreen groves that shelter the snow from the direct sun.
Apr 23: We were at 37 when I woke up this morning warming up overnight. We have mostly clear blue skies with a sprinkling of small white clouds. We have 2-3ft waves from the SE. There is a band of greenish brown water near the shore and translucent blue water further out. The sky over the lake is sunny but the sun is coming through a white haze.
Apr 22: It was a cold day along the lake today. We woke up to 31 and had a high of 39 just briefly in the late morning. Most of the day we were right at the freezing mark. Lake Superior had 3-4ft waves from the SSE spraying water up past the shore at times.
Apr 21: We ended up at 49 for a high yesterday and then we plunged overnight down to 23. A "snow bomb" put us in an instant blizzard for about 15 minutes yesterday evening. High winds and snow came out of nowhere and left just as quickly with about 1" of snow on the ground. We staeyd in the 20's all morning but the sun burned off the overcast skies by noon and we quiclky rose to 43 in the afternoon. Lake Superior was a tranquil blue and surprisingly calm for the day.
Apr 20: It warmed up slowly overnight from 32 to 39 by sunrise. Skies are lightly overcast overhead not letting the sun through to warm things up more. We are only 42 at noon. Across the lake the skies are dark suggesting rain in northern Wisconsin. Lake Superior has 3-4ft waves coming straight in from the SSE.
Apr 19: Overnight we had 32 and woke up to about 2" of fresh snow that was pretty much gone by 10am. Out high today was just short of 50 degrees. We had partly cloudy skies. At times it was overcast over the lake. Lake Superior had 2-3ft smooth blue gray waves from the SSW.
Apr 18: It was the warmest day this spring at 58 degrees briefly. With the wind it did not feel nearly that warm. Lake Superior was a metallic blue again with 2-3ft waves from the SSW.
Apr 17: We climbed to 46 today briefly after a chilly morning low of 20 degrees. Lake Superior is matallic blue with 2ft waves from the SSW. Skies are partly cloudy with plenty of sun.
Apr 16: Our low this morning is 23. I could see the stars last night and we have clear blue skies this morning. Lake Superior has a textured surface with blues and navies against a white crisp horizon line. There are 1-2ft waves from the SSW.
Apr 15: With a high of 39 and a low of 22 it was a chilly day here in Croftville. The wood fire in our fireplace feels so good tonight and is the only thing that can get me warm. I watched the half moon move across the sky last night. It seemed quite low to the southern horizon. There is also planet near the horizon that I keep confusing with a distant ore freighter far out on the lake. I am not sure which planet it is. Lake Superior is blue with 1-2ft waves from the south.
Apr 14: Yikes, a low of 18 his morning and our high was just over freezing at 33. Lake Superior has 2-3ft blue waves from the south this morning with partly cloudy skies. I walked by many deer grazing in the yards here on Croftville Road today. They really are stupid beasts. When he see me coming they stand perfectly still. I really think they think I cannot see them even though I stop and talk to them. It is true they are pefectly camoflouged with their fur against the brown grass and dead leaves of the forest in early spring. The refuse to move until a make a movement toward them.
Apr 13: We woke up to a low of 26, a cold strong wind off the hill, and 1-2 inches of fresh snow. By noon we were above freezing on our way to our high of 40 this afternoon. Most of the fresh snow was gone by 3pm. An old ore freighter went by this morning and was just around 2 miles from shore but it seemed so much closer. It was one with the pilot house in the front and you could tell it was loaded sitting so low in the water. Lake Superior was a brilliant blue today with 1-2ft waves from the SE.
Apr 12: After an amazing high of 53 yesterday, sunshine, and a brisk wind today was cold. Our low overnight was 32. We managed a high of 37 late this morning before temps started slowly dropping back to freezing by night time. Snow flurries began to fall in the afternoon and by nightfall we had about an inch of snow covering the ground. I undersand that SE Minnesota got the brunt of this springtime blizzard with 8 plus inches in most areas with the storm beginning before dawn and lasting until about 4pm.
Apr 11: We have mostly cloudy skies this morning and 37 degrees. Lake Superior is a faint blue with 1-2ft waves with navy shadows from the south. Our snow continues to melt away. Most of the remaining snow here along the shore is on north sides of buildings, trees, or hillsides that are protected from direct sun.
Apr 10: The sun was out all morning but by the time I was ready for my late afternoon walk the sun had disappeared. It was again a cold day, not so much temperature-wise but it was a biting cold wind in fairly humid air.
Apr 9: We saw 3 ore freighters pass by today. The closest was about 3 miles out and was an older model with the control house up in the front. It is fun when ships are close to shore because you can see easily thrack their movement as they pass by. It was sunny, cold, and windy today. The wind whistled through the double hung windows in the inn.
Apr 8: Our high was 53 today and it felt so good. The sun was warm to the face. Lake Superior only had small smooth waves on its blue surface. The deer were brave this morning when Teresa woke up. She saw them peering through the picture window in the 3 cottages. I guess they miss our guests, too.
Apr 7: Our son usually runs in the morning but all the weather forecast was saying it was going to be a sunny beautiful afternoon. So he waited for the sun and warm air that never came. At least the heavy rain from this morning ended and the snow that apparently was falling just about everywhere else including Duluth never came. Lake Superior was just a dark hazy blur with the heavy overcast skies and rain.
Apr 6: Skies are cloud covered today. Lake Superior is silver and calm against a dark blue horizon. Smooth gentle swells are barely noticable from the SE. I saw 2 loons in the water this morning (the first 2 of the year). Our high today is 45 with a morning low of 28.
Apr 5: It was a beautiful clear but cold day outside today. Our low was 24 and our high was 45 but with the strong breezes off the lake it did not feel like 45. Lake Superior was a deep blue with 2 ft waves from the SSE. Some of grass has signs of turning green.
Apr 4: We woke up to 23 this morning and 2" of fresh snow. It stayed cold through the morning but somehow found a way to make it to 41 degrees late this afternoon. By then most of the snow had melted. The lightly overcast skies and the brisk wind partially off the lake made it cold to be outdoors. Lake Superior's 2-4ft waves changed to the SSW this morning on a dark gray lake.
Apr 3: It looked like rain all morning but the rain held off until afternoon. It was a steady cold rain. Duluth had snow all day but we didn't start to see any snow falling until dark. Lake Superior had smooth 2-3ft waves from the SE. We started the day in the 40's and dropped slowly into the 30's as temps slowly descended all day long.
Apr 2: It was a gorgeous spring day with our first 50 degree temperature of the spring. We had a high of 52 with plenty of sun. There were sounds of spring in the air with birds chattering and woodpeckers pecking away incessantly. Lake Superior was a deep sky blue with 1-2ft waves from the SE.
Apr 1: Although the morning started with overcast skies and a low of 34, the afternoon was amazing. The sun came out and the blue skies reflacted off a brilliant blue lake with 2ft waves from the SE. Our afternoon high was 46 degrees.
March 2020
Mar 31: It is the last day of March with blue skies, a blue lake, and a cloudy horizon to the south. Our morning low was 30 and we are currently at 41 degrees which is likely our afternoon high. Lake Superior has 2-3ft textured waves from the SE.
Mar 30: Our high today was 49 after a morning low of 34. More steady rain fell throughout the afternoon yesterday. The effect of that rain on the snow cover here close to the lake is really evident. Most steep inclines with a southern exposure are now snow-free. Except for a few ice formations built up by spray over the winter, most of the shore and the banks from the shore are now snow-free as well. The other amazing thing with yesterday's rain is that all of the small creeks now are open and have water running through them. An ore freighter passed by this morning certainly less than a mile out judging by the speed it passed Croftville Road Cottages by.
Mar 29: It stayed warm along the shore last night with an overnight temp of 37 and a steady rain beginning around midnight. It is a gray overcast as far as we can see with a fuzzy horizon. Lake Superior has 1-3ft waves from the SE with a muddy looking band near the shore from the runoff into the lake last night. The rain has settled into a constant drizzle for now. Winds are brisk. We will be lucky to get into the low 40's today.
Mar 28: Our low this morning was 24 and our high was 46. Rain and snow is on the way and we could see dark cloudfronts across the lake most of the day. Croftville had clear skies which turned to overcast in the late afternoon. Lake Superior had small waves from the south.
Mar 27: Our day was almost a repeat of yesterday. Lake Superior was blue with small whitecaps and 2-3ft waves from the SE today. Skies were mostly blue with some clouds. Our high was 45 after a low of 24 this morning.
Mar 26: Lake Superior was blue with small whitecaps and 2-3ft waves from the SE today. Skies were mostly blue with some clouds. Our high was 46 after a low of 26 this morning.
Mar 25: It stayed above feezing last night and with the cloudy and overcast skies today we warmed up to a high of 43. This afternoon we have a silver gray lake with 1ft waves from the south against a dark blue horizon toward the UP and northern Wisconsin.
Mar 24: It dropped to 25 this morning but jumped to 46 today even though we had partly cloudy skies most of the day. Lake Superior was calm this morning but mustered up 1-2ft waves from the SE by late afternoon. The calm lake was a pale blue with a rough surface but with blotches of of smooth water.
Mar 23: Lots of sun with a low of 31 and a high of 46. Lake Superior was a dep blue with 2-3ft waves from the SSE.
Mar 22: The big lake started flexing its muscles last night. We woke up to 3-4ft waves coming straight in from the SSe with whitecaps, dark olive shadows, and a silver surface. Overhead, the clear skies and stars during the night quickly changed to a gray overcast sky and a hazy horizon. Temps today are lingering in the lower 30's.
Mar 21: It got down to 11 last night and just might be the coldest night we will see along the shore until next winter. In spite of the cold air, the sun now is just too high in the sky to be prevented from warming things up when it is out. Our high was 37 this afternoon. Lake Superior was a pure blue with 1-2ft waves from the SE.
Mar 20: Welcome to the first full day of spring with the equinox happening yestreday afternoon. It was still 34 degrees last night at 11pm but cold temps moved in overnight and we woke up to 18. There are clear blue skies and a deep blue lake against a crisp white horizon. The air is still and the lake has 1ft waves from the SE on a rippled surface. Temperatures should rise with the bright sun.
Mar 19: Temps stayed just above freezing last night and snow started coming down around 4am. We have so far 2-3 inches of moist snow with snow still falling steadily and 35 degrees this morning at 9am. It looks beautiful, a winter wonderland, but my back is already aching at the prospect of shoveling wet snow when this ends. Lake Superior is gray with small waves from the SE. The horizon line cannot be seen this morning.
Mar 18: It dipped down only to 24 after a high yesterday of 41. We are at 34 degrees at noon but the gray overcast skies will probably keep the temperatures right where they are. Lake Superior is blue gray with green shadows and whitecaps. Waves are 2-3ft from the SE. There is just a slight breeze in the air. Some of the more southern exposed embankments have begun to loose their snowcover here along the shore but most areas still have 1-2ft of snow cover here in Croftville.
Mar 17: We have striking 3ft deep blue waves with dark olive shadows hitting the shore from the SSW this morning. We have a white horizon and light clear blue skies overhead. Our overnight low was 18 after a high yesterday of 37.
Mar 16: Snow began falling late last night and continued until about 10am. All together we had about 4" of fresh moist snow. Our low was 18 this morning but by the time the snow ended it was 33 degrees. The moister snow stuck to the limbs and it looks like a winter wonderland here right now. I wish I cound enjoy it but shoveling March snow is no longer on my list of fun things to do. Lake Superior is a grayish green with dark green shadows and whitecaps as the 2-3ft waves from the SSW break near the shore.
Mar 15: It is the Ides of March and the weather took a turn today. We woke up to clear blue skies and 18 degerees but by noon we have dark grey overcast skies with the temperature topping out at 29 and starting to descend. We had snow flurries for a while. Lake Superior is still blue with dark olive shadows and 1-2ft waves from the SE. The horizon line is bright white suggesting clearer skies to our south in Wisconsin and the UP.
Mar 14: It got down to 15 last night but even with slightly hazy skies this morning the air is warming up quickly. We should be above freezing this afternoon. Lake Superior has a highly textured light blue surface with navy shadows with no noticeable wave direction. Not happy to see a red squirrel checking out our covered porch as a potential nest sight. Where is our worthless cat, she is shirking on her duties.
Mar 13: The big lake is still no more. The winds really picked up last night and also helped to pick up the lake from its stillness. Today we have 1-2ft blue waves with green shadows from the south. Near the white horizon the sky is pure white against a narrow band of water that is turquoise. Our skies overhead are a 50:50 mixture of blue skies and fast moving white clouds. Our morning low was 26 and we are warming up very slowly.
Mar 12: The big lake is still and gray. The air is still. The sky is a medium gray overcast. The mist of this morning has transformed into steady rain this afternoon. We dropped to 18 briefly last night but have been in the 30's all day topping out at 39 around 2pm.
Mar 11: We have hazy skies today but still plenty of sun. I suspect the sun will burn the haze off by afternoon. Lake Superior fell silent during the evening hours last night. It must be over a month or more since that last happened. Lake Superior is pale blue glass this morning without even a ripple on the surface. The quietness of the lake and the waning full moon kept us awake in the middle of the night. Our low this morning was 18.
Mar 10: Lake Superior had 1-2ft blue gray waves from the SE with a textured surface today. There was a little sun but mostly light overcast skies. Our low was 19 and our high was 38. Our cat was having fun walking on the snow cover without sinking in. She thought she was so clever meandering on top of the snow.
Mar 9: We saw the clear skies move away from us toward the southern horizon. They were replaced by a medium cloud cover sort of a bluish gray in color. The cloud cover is keeping our temps down today with a morning low of 26 and an afternoon high of 33. Lake Superior is silver with 1-2ft waves with gray shadows from the SE on a very textured surface.
Mar 8: It was a beautiful warm late early spring day in Grand Marais. We had a low of 18 and a high of 42 with plenty of sun and a bright blue lake refelcting that blue sky. The waves were 2ft with dark navy shadows.
Mar 7: There are light clouds over the lake and blue skies overhead. Lake Superior looks alomst black this morning with silver shadows and 2ft waves from the SE. Our morning low was 18 and our afternoon high was 41.
Mar 6: After an overnight low of 12 and a cold start of the day we jumped to 43 briefly this afternoon before beginning a quick descent back down the Fahrenheit scale. Lake Superior had 3-4ft waves from the SE with its color changing as the sky changed all day long.
Mar 5: It cooled off during the night and we went from wet snow coming down during nightfall to just regular although I wouldn't call it fluffy either. I snowed all day until about 3pm. Much of the morning looked like a blizzard with the wind blowing the snow horizontal. In total we ended up with about 4 inches here by the lake. We were at about 30 degrees at daybreak and we are now at 22 which is our low for the day. Lake Superior had powerful 4-5ft gray waves hammering the shore.
Mar 4: With a low of 26 last night the bright sun skyrocketed our temperature up to 43 this afternoon. It doesn't feel much like winter right now. The strong sun is really depleting the snow along the beach and roadways. There is still lots of snow away from the beach and roadways. Lake Superior has 3ft blue waves with green shadows from the south and a few whitecaps. Skies are mostly sunny with a few scattered clouds.
Mar 3: It only got down to 32 last night but with the heavy overcast skies this morning I suspect we will stay in the mid 30's today. We had about a half inch of snow last night. It has been a couple weeks since our last snow and it is good to see a little fresh snow again. Maybe it will prompt me to get out on my cross country skis. Lake Superior is a steel blue against a crisp white horizon. Closer to shore it is green as the 3ft waves from the south break on our rocks.
Mar 2: We had a 10 degree spread today between 29 and 39 degrees. We woke up to white overcast but the sun burned it off by noon. After that we had a brilliant blue lake with whitecaps and 2-3ft waves from the south. We had a pale blue horizon. Close to the shore the water was a translucent bluish green. Tonight we have a moon dag outside. The halo aroung the moon is almost eerie.
Mar 1: Our morning low was 22 degrees and we jumped to an afternoon high of 42. It did not feel like winter today and much more like spring. It actually hit 50 degrees in Minnapolis. It was a great day to be outside basking in the sun and watching the 2-3ft waves on the birght blue Lake Superior.
February 2020
Feb 29: Happy Leap Day. I always love how we try to artifically impose a time scale on our hours, days, and years. We like to believe that somehow this time scale is in perfect tune with the "cosmos". Leap years, leap days, and the rarer leap second are reminders of the arbitrary nature in which we measure time. Our low this morning was 7 and our high was 34 late in the afternoon. Lake Superior was bright blue with sunny blue skies overhead. We had 1-2ft waves from the SSE.
Feb 28: We had a blue Lake Superior and plenty of sun today as the temperature rose from 5 degrees to 28 degrees today. Lake Superior had 1-2ft waves from the SE.
Feb 27: We had 5 degrees this morning next to the big lake but it was much colder just a little ways inland. There are clear blue skies today and with all that sun now sitting higher in the sky the air is warming up into the upper 20's this afternoon. Lake Superior is a deep blue at the horizon with a little cloud cover there. Closer in the lake is a silvery blue with 1ft waves from the SE and a highly textured surface.
Feb 26: We were down to 12 this morning and are heading for the mid 20's today as the weather has taken a cold turn. Skies are a ligth gray overcast. Lake Superior is silver against a purplish blue horizon line. We have 1-2ft waves coming straight in from the SSE. The now ended thaw has melted about half of the snow off the smaller roadways leaving 50 percent bare pavement and 50 percent packed ice.
Feb 25: We had a low this morning of 22 and a high this afternoon of 43 degrees. There was blue skies and sun this morning and overcast white skies this afternoon.
Feb 24: It is hard to believe that we returned to 44 degrees in Grand Marais late yesterday afternoon after an almost unbelievable high of 47 degrees. It was beautiful Lake Superior greeting us with steel blue 2-4ft waves with whitecaps and black shadows against sun and a clear blue sky. Overnight we had 29 degrees and the rising sun on the lake woke us at 6:30am. It is funny realizing the sun is in the sky longer, rises significantly earlier, and gets much higher in the sky than at the solstice which is no more than 2 months ago.
Feb 23: It is another beautiful day here in southern Minnesota this morning. Clear blue skies, 30 degrees, and a warming sun. We are ready to start our trek back north to Grand Marais and Lake Superior. Talking about our resort with old childhood friends of my brother at the wedding made me homesick for Croftville Road Cottages.
Feb 22: We are attending a wedding today in New Prague. We have clear blue skies, temps in the 30's, and still air. It is a beautiful February day and we can here the birds and particularly the robins outside. I slept well but reallymissed the sounds of the big lake that I am so used to.
Feb 21: We are in Prior Lake today but it is cold. We came to southern Minnesota for a wedding and my wife told me it was supposed to be 40 degrees here. Instead, it is 15 this morning and was in the single digits last night. I brought he wrong clothes with. At least it is sunny with blue skies and hopefully it will warm up today.
Feb 20: We traveled south today for a groom's dinner in rural Waseca. It was a cold drive but the roads were dry. It was 14 when we left Grand Marais and it was still 14 when we arrived 300 miles to the south in Waseca. The groom's dinner was at a small family brewery on an ice-covered gravel road. It was on the site of an old dairy farm and used some stainless steel milking equipment in their brewery.
Feb 19: We started at 2 below zero this morning, peaked at 16 degrees this afternoon once the sun came out, and dropped back to 3 degrees before I head to bed. It was a cold day in the single digits most of the day with a high moisture content in the air. Even when the sun came out the air still chilled me down to the bones even without a noticable wind. Lake Superior was a dark gray, almost black at times against the white horizon and the sunlight. There were small waves just big enough to hear the water breaking on the shore.
Feb 18: We ended up with an inch of fresh fluffy snow last night. This morning we saw the orange sun rise at the horizon until it rose into a white overcast and disappeared. Lake Superior is silver with dark gray shadows and 1ft waves from the SSW. Our overnight low was 14 and our high will likely be in the upper 20's today. I doubt we will see freezing with the overcast skies.
Feb 17: It hit 1 degree sometime in the middle of the night and then temps began to rise. It was 22 by the time we got up and it was snowing. We ended up with about 3" of fresh snow and a 28 degree high by mid-afternoon. Skies were white overcast. Lake Superior was a pale blue with 1-2ft waves from the south. Snow began falling again around nightfall.
Feb 16: It is a beautiful Sunday morning. There are blue skies with a faint band of clouds on the horizon across the lake. Our morning low was 1 above. Lake Superior has a highly textured blue and silver surface with 1-2ft roller waves from the south.
Feb 15: Our morning low was 15 degrees temps warmed all the way to 34 degrees in the afternoon. There was a nasty wind yesterday afternoon and overnight. Those winds made it brutal to be outside and churned up 4-5ft waves from the SSW during the night. The winds subsided today making great skiing conditions up at the Pincushion Ski Festival in spite of the 2" of fluffy snow around sunrise and white overcast skies.
Feb 14: Another cold start to the day at 8 below after a high yesterday afternoon of 9 degrees. We have gray overcast skies and still air. Temps are warming up and are 7 above at 10am. Lake Superior has 2ft blusih gray waves with navy shadows from the south.
Feb 13: Our low was 12 below this morning which is I believe the coldest day this winter along Lake Superior. It is quite a feat for temperatures next to open fresh water to get that cold. I heard it was 38 below up at Seagull Lake this morning at the end of the Gunflint Trail. Lake Superior had the distinctive dark cloud mass over it this morning as staem rose off the lake forming the mass of water vapor. The sun lit up the blue skies and the blue lake once it rose over that cloud mass. We have 2-3ft roller waves from the SE.
Feb 12: What an odd day weather-wise. Our high today was 30 around midnight. We woke up to 26 and by noon it was 11 degrees. Around noon a front passed through and a powerful wind showed up without any notice. The temps continued to drop into the single digits and then around 2:30pm the wind stopped, the sun came out, and the temp rebounded into the upper teens. Temps have now began a slow descend and are expected to be well below zero by morning.
Feb 11: Our low was 20 this morning and our high was around noon with 30 degrees. We have partly sunny skies with high cirrus clouds. Lake Superior has 2ft blue waves from the SSW and navy shadows. he sun reflecting off the water creates a blinding vertical band of light.
Feb 10: Waves were small 1ft waves from the SE this morning but have grown to 2-3ft waves from the south in the afternoon. Skies are mostly overcast but there are spots in the sky that have clouds with breaks in them letting a limited amount of sunlight through. Lake Superior is a greenish blue with green shadows. Our low this morning was 7 and our afternoon high topped out at 26.
Feb 9: Our high climbed to 30 after a morning low of 4 degrees. The skies were mostly blue with some high sirrus clouds woven in. Lake Superior was a steel blue with 2-3ft waves coming straight in from the SSE and splashing up on the rocks of the shore.
Feb 8: We had a low of 0 and a high of 23 today. Lake Superior's colors were everchanging as the amount and kind of cloud cover kept changing and with it the sunlight that could get through. Where the sun was direct, the lake looked a transluscent green. Were the sun diffused through clouds the lake was more of an opague purple.
Feb 7: The waves changed from the south to the SE during the night. With that change also came a drop in temperature and 1-2" of fresh fluffy snow. Our morning low was 8 degrees and with the heavy gray overcast skies, I expect that things will not warm up much today. Lake Superior is a bluish gray with 2-3ft waves with dark gray shadows.
Feb 6: The day started with a great sunrise and plenty of sun. The only substantial cloud cover was on the far side of the big lake near the horizon. By noon it has been replaced with a heavy gray overcast. Lake Superior has 2-3ft bluish gray waves from the south. Our morning temp was 22 and we are heading for a high in the upper 20's.
Feb 5: Our overnight low was 4 degrees which is the coldest temp in about 3 weeks. Things are warming up quickly this morning and we are already to 14 degrees at 8am. There are some high clouds dispersed in a blue sky and a decent amount of sun. Lake Superior is silver blue with black shadows. There are 2-3ft waves from the south. The horizon is white except in the direction of the rising sun which is orange. There is a purplish cloud bank a little above the horizon partially blocking the sun.
Feb 4: It feels more like winter today with a morning low down by the lake of 7 degrees. The lake became still during the night and there was ice on the surface near the shore. Small 1ft waves from the SSW began around sunrise and have broken up and reabsorbed all the ice. Lake Superior is a bright blue against a white horizon. There are a few light clouds but for the most part we have sun and blue skies. Our high this afternoon was 19 degrees.
Feb 3: It dropped overnight to 22 degrees and our high for the day was 26. I am relieved the above freezing temps are gone for now. If we are going to have winter, then I want it with good snow conditions to take advantage of skiing. The sun came out for small periods today as banks of cloud cover move by. Lake Superior is a dark blue with 1-2ft waves from the south.
Feb 2: Lake Superior is a dark blue and mostly calm with just small waves and ripples today. The skies were mixed today with sun poking through at times and complete overcast skies at other times. 2-3 inches of wet snow fell last night and in the early morning hours. Our low overnight was 29 and our high today was 37. We needed to get that wet snow shoveled because forecasts say that when we drop below freezing tonight it will stay below freezing for the next 10 plus days. We didn't want that wet snow to freeze on our walkways and driveways.
Feb 1: Wow, it started this morning at 28 and sunny. By afternoon we hit 40 degrees here by the lake before overcast skies stopped the rising temps. Lake Superior has 2ft waves from the south which were a brilliant blue in the sun but turned gray when the overcast skies moved in.
January 2020
Jan 31: Our low was 29 overnight and our high today was 35. There was a heavy gray overcast all day long. The air felt a little moist but if you were moving around outside it was quite comfortable. Lake Superior has 2-3ft gray and green waves from the south all day. Jan 30: We had the strangest precipitation last night. It started with a dusting of fluffy snow (maybe a half inch) and then changed to about a 1/4" of freezing mist. This morning we had a 1/4" of ice on our windshields down here by the lake. Pincushion Ski Trails at the crest of the hill also had the ice coating but as you went inland all there was was the dusting of fluffy snow. The odd thing was that the temperature last night was steady at 26 degrees which seems to cold for freeezing mist. Our low was 26 and our high today was 32. Heavy gray overcast kept us from seeing the sun. It also left the lake a monotine gray with 2ft waves from the south.
Jan 29: Our high today was 30 and our low 17. Once again skies were a mixture of clouds and sun. Once again Lake Superior was blue with small waves. Almost an exact repeat of yesterday.
Jan 28: We had a morning low of 16 and an afternoon high of 31. Skies were a mixture of clouds and sun. Lake Superior was blue with small waves.
Jan 27: Our low this morning was 20 and our high this afternoon was 32 with the sun finally burning away the gray overcast. The stars and the waning crescent moon are bright in the sky tonight. It is a great night for star gazing. Temperatures are dropping fast with the clear skies and we have already matched our morning low at 7:30pm. Lake Superior had many faces today as the skies kept changing throughout the day.
Jan 26: Our low was 27 last night and our high today was 37. Ouch, but little snow melted because of the heavy overcast skies and almost no breeze. Lake Superior was gray and still with only small waves. Cross country ski conditions were surprisingly good and it felt pleasant not to have to put multiple layer of clothing on.
Jan 25: Our low overnight was 32 and we are at 34 degrees at 1pm. Skies are gray overcast. Lake Superior is a monotone gray with small waves. The air is still.
Jan 24: Our high yesterday was 32 and our low this morning was 24. We have light snow this morning with about an inch of fluffy accumulation so far. The sky is a light gray and looks like snow. Lake Superior is a uniform gray with 1-2ft waves from the SE.
Jan 23: Our low overnight was 27 and at noon we are at 30. Looks like with the gray overcast skies the temps are going to stay pretty steady. Lake Superior is gray with green shadows and 2-3ft waves from the SE. Near the horizon we see some darker blues and indications of a cloud front in northern Wisconsin.
Jan 22: Our low was 14 and our high 32 today. The waves really became gigantic yesterday afternoon with 5-7ft waves from the south crashing into the rocks and throwing boulders around like pebbles. Listening to those large rocks rubbing reminds me of the sound of someone grinding their teeth. Today the waves diminished down to 3-5ft waves which are impressive in their own right. Overhead, the skies were overcast and it surprised me that without the sun the temp got all the way up to freezing.
Jan 21: Our overnight low was 14 this morning. It appears skies overhead are clear but there is a huge cloudbank over the lake that is completely blocking the light of the rising sun. Waves and their sounds have returned after an unusual still day yesterday. We have grayish blue 3-4ft south waves with black shadows. It should become bright once the sun is able to rise up above the clouds over the lake.
Jan 20: It is a clear morning with bright blue skies and an annoyingly bright sun as I try to sleep in a little after another strenuous day of shoveling yesterday. We were at 10 degrees this morning but the sun is warming things up quickly. Lake Superior is still this morning with only ripples on the surface. There are irregular patches of the lake with different textures. It could be from currents or the wind but it also might be the first sign of ice beginning to form on the big lake. I saw this once this season in December but it seemed too early for ice formation and when this feature didn't persist I knew it wasn't ice. This time the timing is better but it still seems a little early for ice here in Croftville. The coming days will let us know.
Jan 19: Our low this morning was 7 and our afternoon high was 28. No more snow today but there is mountains of snow to shovel out from. Lake Superior is a faint blue with blinding sunlight reflections off the 2ft waves from the SE.
Jan 18: The snow finally reached us about 8pm last night. It has snowed and the winds have blown all night. It looks like the snow will continue through most of the day. With the wind, it is tough to tell the accumulation but so far it is in the 6-8 inch range. The skies are light gray. Lake Superior is a dark gray with 3ft waves from the SE. Temps have stayed in the upper 20's through the night and today.
Jan 17: Well, we got down to 1 below last night and 2" of snow fell in the early morning hours as the temperatures began to rise. We were at 15 by sunrise and have climbed to 22 this afternoon. It is now 2pm and I have just finished shoveling in time for check-ins and the next big snowstorm that is supposed to hit Grand Marais around 6pm. Lake Superior is gray with green shadows and 2ft waves from the SSE.
Jan 16: The lake was completely still last night with a half moon lighting everything up once the dusting of snow passed by. Then the winds started howling coming off the hill and buffeting the lake. Even with our windows locked, the wind whistled through our double hung windows. This morning we have temps around zero, blue skies, and a bright sun. Lake Superior is a vibrant sky blue with 1-2ft waves from the SSW, navy shadows, white highlights, and steam rising off the surface in small whirlwinds.
Jan 15: We have 1ft waves from the SE today. Temps are in the 20's and falling slowly. There are some beautiful cloudbanks over the lake. The sunlight finding its way through the clouds makes for some brilliant skyscapes and amazing relflections off what otherwise is a gray lake with green shadows.
Jan 14: Last night 5" of fresh snow came down as temps hovered right around 30 degrees. The snow is heavy but not sloppy, probably good for a friendly snowball fight. Lots of shoveling to do once again. The trees are now covered with the fresh snow making it look like a winter wonderland. Skies are a gray overcast that has the feel of even more snow. Lake Superior is a balltleship gray with green shadows with 2ft waves coming in from the south.
Jan 13: Our low this morning was 19 and our high was 29 before the overcast skies took over this afternoon. It looks like snow in the air but so far all we have had over the last couple days was a couple short-lived dustings yesterday. The partly cloudy skies this morning allowed pockets of blinding relfections on the lake once the sun got up high enough in the sky to shine through breaks in the clouds. Lake Superior has 1ft pale blue waves with green shadows from the SSE. The air is still.
Jan 12: It was our second night in Ely and although it was 14 brlow when we went to bed it was only 2 below when we got up to go skiing at 7am. By 9am when we finished skiing it was 3 above. As we headed toward Lake Superior we saw steadily rising temps and heavy snow at times. It was 22 degrees when we got back to the big lake.
Jan 11: We had a low of 1 below here on Lake Superior this morning but over in Ely where we spent the night it was 19 below this morning. Driving over to Ely was treacherous on Highway 1 which was ice and snow covered with some gravel mixed into the mix. Today we had a great day at the Ely Folk School as our kids made beaver hats and mitts.
Jan 10: We had a low of 15 this morning and the bright sun is warming the North Shore up nicely. However, a cold air mass is making its way here and temps will begin to drop by noon. Lake Superior is a brilliant blue with 2-3ft waves now coming from the SE. The air is still and the snow is done for now. Time to shovel ourselves out.
Jan 9: We woke to 28 degrees this morning and our high is 30 degrees so far at 6pm. Lake Superior has greenish gray 3-4ft waves coming straight and buffeting the shore from the SSE. Snow fell overnight with 2-3" of fresh fluffy snow and has pretty much snowed all day long adding another 3-4". So it looks like a snow shoveling morning tomorrow when the snow ends.
Jan 8: It was a cold morning with a low of 1 below whcih I think is our first below zero night along Lake Superior so far this winter. With the big body of open water of Lake Superior it takes really cold air to get the temperature next to the lake to drop below zero. When the lake finally freezes, then the temps next to the lake during the winter are still pretty much the same as inland. However, by the time Lake Superior freezes over here (if at all) it as already later in the winter and the coldest temps may already be done. We had sun until mid-afternoon with temps rising up to 14 degrees. The overcast skies came in and we have started to see snow flurries.
Jan 7: Things warmed up in the sun yesterday and suprisingly temps climber all the way to 32 degrees. Today, we woke up to 30 degrees and then watched temps drop steadily all day. Right now we are at 10 degrees at 6pm and we may be heading to below zero temps tonight. We had mostly blue skies except for a couple bouts of lake effect snow dusting the outside. Lake Superior had 2-3ft blue green waves from the SSW.
Jan 6: It was still 32 when I went to bed last night but it has been dropping steadily through the night. Right now it is 20 degrees and dropping at 9am this morning. We have clear blue skies, a cold brisk breeze, and a deep blue lake against a white horizon lne. Lake Superior has 2-3ft waves from the SSW. I saw 2 freighters pass by yesterday, the shipping season should be ending soon.
Jan 5: The low this morning was 29 and it appears the high this afternoon will be 32. We have heavy gray overcast skies which makes sense with such a small variation in temperatures. Lake Superior's waves began again during the night. We have 2-3ft pale blue waves with olive shadows from the SSW. It is good to hear the lake again. We also had about 2-3" of fresh fluffy snow fall this morning.
Jan 4: We warmed up overnight and woke up to 30 degrees this morning. That temperature has essentially remained static all day. Skies are mixed. Sometimes we have a dark gray overcast, other times we have cloud cover, and sometimes the sun finds a break to pop out and light up the lake and the snow. Lake Superior is calm today with small ripples moving almost parallel with the shore toward Grand Portage.
Jan 3: We woke up to 23 today after a high yesterday of 38. The skies are gray overcast this morning. Lake Superior is blue gray with 1ft waves from the SSW. There is a partial break in the overcast to the south where you can see a cloud bank near the horizon.
Jan 2: I woke up to 29 degrees this morning and it has risin to 35 degrees at noon. We have light clouds covering the sky. Lake Superior is a pale blue gray with 1ft waves from the south. Lake Superior has a dark narrow band of water at the horizon.
Jan 1: We drove to the twin cities last night to bring in the New Year with a house warming party for our niece. Driving down was uneventful but driving back the very next day was too much driving in too short a period for a person who prefers to stay put at our resort. We started the day with degrees and sunny in Prior Lake. By the time we left to head north it was 34. As we drove north we entered heavy gray overcast skies with a little freezing rain. By the time we got to Duluth the rain had changed to light snow and the overcast skies had changed to fog. The drive up the shore was 27 degrees, overcast night skies, an occasional freighter on the lake, and light snow.