352lakelevels
The lake level (in red) remains well below average (blue).30 Years Ago
A spring cold snap set record lows from Sault Ste. Marie to Duluth in mid-April 1983. In Ironwood, Michigan, the temperature on April 17 dipped to a bitter minus 8º F, a full 37º below the average low for that day. It was one of four consecutive days of record-setting lows. The April 18 low of minus 5º F remains the latest in the year that a subzero temperature has been recorded in Ironwood. On April 18 in Minnesota, Duluth (25º), Two Harbors (17º) and Grand Marais (15º) saw record lows. Another cold snap chilled the Lake in mid-May. Temperatures fell to 17º F on May 17 in Grand Marais, Michigan.
Around the Lake: Transitions
The superintendent of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore since 2005, Jim Northup left the Lakeshore in early March to head Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, where he’ll also oversee Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park. Among his many accomplishments, Jim helped start the National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation, a non-profit that raises money for the Big Lake’s five U.S. park units. Jim’s successor will be announced in the coming months.
In another transition at the Lakeshore, Gregg Bruff, chief of heritage education and cultural resources, retired in February after 37 years with the U.S. National Park and Forest services, 25 of them at Pictured Rocks. An active member of the Munising community, Gregg plans to remain in the Upper Peninsula and continue teaching and volunteering around town.
In February, the publishers of Duluth-based business-to-business publication BusinessNorth agreed to buy the Scenic Range News Forum, a community paper covering Minnesota’s western Iron Range. In March, BusinessNorth moved into its new offices at 310 E. Superior Street, Suite 140 – right next door to Lake Superior Magazine’s Outlet Store and offices in Suite 125.