It’s been an April to remember – or perhaps to forget – on Lake Superior. High winds and heavy snow shut down much of Duluth late last Thursday and Friday, including our offices. The 18 inches of snow that fell yesterday and today again closed schools and had winter-weary residents shaking their shovels at the sky.
Reports the Duluth News Tribune:
Duluth smashed the old record for April snowfall, formerly 31.6 inches set in 1950, with 41.7 inches fallen so far.
Snow in Thunder Bay on Friday brought the Ontario city to a halt; forecasters expect 20 cm (nearly 8 inches) in all. Officials are telling drivers to stay off the roads until conditions improve, TBNewsWatch.com reports, and the city suspended bus services.
In Houghton, Michigan Tech canceled its annual Spring Fling while bracing for nearly a foot of snow, according to a Mining Gazette story. The National Weather Service upgraded today’s storm to a blizzard this morning.
+ All the late snow does have its benefits, though. According to the Chronicle Journal in Thunder Bay, only one forest fire has been reported in Ontario this spring. At this time last year, there had already been 87 in the province’s Northwest Region. And, as much as everyone wants some warmth, a continued gradual warm-up should minimize flooding.
+ More Tall Ships tickets, coming tomorrow: Visit Duluth announced that an additional 1,200 day sail tickets will go on sale Saturday at 11 a.m. Central. The first batch sold out after just one day.
+ Sliding snow destroyed part of the parapet on the historic Duluth Armory, WDIO reports. The building, of which Duluth-born Bob Dylan has spoken fondly, is currently owned and being renovated by a non-profit group called the Armory Arts and Music Center.
+ A benefit concert for the Armory will be held on May 17 in Duluth.
+ More outdoor cafés could be coming to the Soo. The Sault Ste. Marie City Commission “unanimously approved a request from the Downtown Development Authority to create an ordinance allowing sidewalk cafés throughout the downtown area,” reports the Soo Evening News.
+ The Wisconsin Lake Superior Scenic Byway officially opened on Thursday. The 70-mile highway route follows the shoreline of the Bayfield Peninsula from near Ashland to the town of Cloverland.
+ Adolph Ojard, Duluth Seaway Port Authority executive director, says, “The federal government should use the money collected in harbor maintenance taxes to increase dredging ports and waterways around the nation.” The Duluth News Tribune reports.
+ From the Mining Gazette, the latest on FinnFest, coming to Hancock, Michigan, in June.
Upcoming Events
Saturday, April 20: Duluth Gallery Hop, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday, April 25: Circle Tour presentation by Lake Superior Magazine’s Paul Hayden, at Duluth’s Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center. 7 p.m.