Believe it or not the winds are down this morning … only 35 mph and out of the west on Lake Superior. Ships had been hiding in the Duluth Harbor from the strong 60+ mph NE winds and ice buildup the waves might cause. In very short order I saw three “Lakers” heading down lake. (the photo location is about 13 miles up the shore from Duluth’s Canal Park)

The sun also returned, but the birding is still horrible given the very strong winds. The chill factor this morning must be below zero. However, within a few days spring is rumored to arrive in the Northland with temperatures soaring into the 50’s with strong winds out of the south (bringing migrating birds??). The North Shore waterfalls will be intense given both the depth of the snow back in the woods combined with an extremely fast melt which will start (video link for email subscribers … this morning’s ore boat)