August 26, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The coming weekend will bring temperatures into the 80s in the village before the weather changes as quickly as the turn of a radio dial. Highs will fall into the 60s and even the 50s as August gives way to September. The first day of the new month looks especially wet, with an all-day soaking expected to leave about an inch and a half of rain in town. Cloudy skies, drizzle, and additional rain appear likely for much of the week that follows.
Climatological Data for GRAND MARAIS, MN, September 1926 | NOAA
Climatological data from the Grand Marais, Minnesota weather station from August 1926. Weather data provided by NOAA Regional Climate Centers. Accessed January 1, 2026.
August 25, 1926, The Duluth Herald
WEATHER RADIO IN GRAND MARAIS BUZZES TO LIFE
August 19, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
Rain will continue today, tomorrow, and Saturday, leaving approximately an inch in the village before the skies begin to clear. A few scattered showers may return Tuesday, but otherwise the coming week should bring seasonable temperatures and generally pleasant conditions. By next Thursday, warmer air will arrive and temperatures in the village should climb into the 80s.
August 12, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The coming weekend looks seasonable, with partly cloudy skies and light winds. Late Sunday, colder air will begin moving into the county, bringing rain with it. Monday will be the day to watch. More than an inch of rain is expected in the village, with heavier amounts possible where thunderstorms pass across the county. The new weather pattern will also bring cooler temperatures and a good chance of rain on most days through the remainder of next week.
August 5, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The first full week of August promises nearly perfect weather. Expect blue skies, light winds, and temperatures close to the seasonal average, interrupted only by a warm spell next Wednesday when the mercury should climb into the 80s. I am told that on such afternoons many respectable citizens suddenly discover pressing business at the harbor or along the lakeshore. I cannot say whether this is true, only that the weather will provide an excellent excuse.
July 29, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The coming week will begin with seasonable temperatures before growing steadily warmer. By next Tuesday, afternoon temperatures should reach the 80s. A thunderstorm is expected to arrive Wednesday, bringing a return to more moderate weather for a time. Even so, August appears likely to bring additional warm spells, with inland temperatures near Gunflint Lake approaching 90 degrees.
Climatological Data for GRAND MARAIS, MN, August 1926 | NOAA
Climatological data from the Grand Marais, Minnesota weather station from August 1926. Weather data provided by NOAA Regional Climate Centers. Accessed January 1, 2026.
July 22, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
Tomorrow's rain will usher in a cooler spell than we have lately enjoyed. Daytime temperatures should remain below the seasonal average, while several nights will fall into the 40s. Following the rain, expect brisk northwest winds for a day before calmer conditions return. The remainder of the week should bring partly cloudy skies, light winds, and enough humidity that the air may feel cooler than the thermometer suggests. If you think it feels more like September than July, you will not be mistaken.
July 15, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The coming week will bring mostly cloudy skies and temperatures near the seasonal average. A soaking rain is expected on Saturday, followed by a lighter rain on Tuesday. By the middle of next week, the wind should shift from the north to the southwest, clearing the skies and bringing temperatures near 80 degrees. Looking beyond next week, conditions appear favorable. One more light rain event seems likely before month's end, after which July should conclude with pleasant temperatures and fair weather.
July 8, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The present spell of rain appears content to linger a few days longer. I hope your copy of the News Herald reaches you dry. Another inch of rain seems likely across the village and much of the county before this latest soaker passes. By Saturday the skies should clear, leaving us with a week of seasonable July weather.
July 1, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The coming holiday week will bring a mixture of weather befitting a northern summer. Temperatures will remain near, or slightly below, the seasonal average. The Third and Fourth promise overcast skies, with a light rain likely on Independence Day itself. That should keep the dust down for the ball games. By next Thursday, however, expect stronger thunderstorms capable of bringing more than an inch of rain to the village, with heavier downpours in scattered parts of the county.
Climatological Data for GRAND MARAIS, MN, July 1926 | NOAA
Climatological data from the Grand Marais, Minnesota weather station from July 1926. Weather data provided by NOAA Regional Climate Centers. Accessed January 1, 2026.
June 24, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
After last week's soaking rains, which flooded parts of the village, and the terrible tornado that claimed two lives in Iowa, one might hope the weather had spent itself for a time. It appears not. One more day of clouds and rain lies ahead before giving way to two splendid days of northern weather with sunshine and fair skies. By Monday, however, strong southerly winds will arrive, carrying temperatures into the nineties. Those heading onto the big lake should use caution, as the wind will raise a troublesome sea.
June 17, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The weather for the coming week appears likely to be wet, cloudy, and damp, with temperatures mostly in the 60s. The rain is welcome news. Monday is the day to watch, as all signs point toward a heavy rainfall that could amount to two inches in town, with still greater amounts elsewhere in the county. Combined with the rain already received this week, what has been a notably dry spring may soon give way to a wet summer. By the end of next week, rainfall may stand nearly an inch above normal.
June 10, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The coming week appears likely to bring fair and seasonable weather, with temperatures mostly in the 60s and 70s. It should provide several fine days for walking in the hills. The latter half of the month may bring more substantial rainfall, with some indications of heavy amounts. The rain would do much to ease the dryness of the woods, though experience teaches that when water arrives all at once, it occasionally discovers places where it was not invited.
June 3, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The coming week should begin to feel more like summer, with temperatures mostly in the 60s. Those hoping for a dry weekend will be disappointed to learn that rain is expected from Saturday through Monday. The total may approach an inch, which is welcome after the dry conditions of recent weeks. Beyond that, another stretch of fair weather appears likely. I noticed the first black flies at sunset this week and was obliged to retreat to the weather tower before finishing work on my new garden. They appear to have arrived in good health.
May 27, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
Before next week’s weather, it may be worth observing today’s. The birch and poplar are budding throughout the woods now, and the hills are steadily turning green. Inland, the season stands farther ahead. At our feet, wild strawberries have begun to bloom their small white flowers, which suggests a good year ahead if such matters may still be judged that way. On walks through the wooded hills north of Tofte, Miss Fjell and I came upon broad patches of spring beauties. In the wetter ground, marsh marigolds are showing gold among the dark water and cedar shadows. Even this dry spring has not managed to hold back the greening of the forest, nor the return of birds and bees, both of which seem to know their business without consulting a forecast.
Climatological Data for GRAND MARAIS, MN, June 1926 | NOAA
Climatological data from the Grand Marais, Minnesota weather station from June 1926. Weather data provided by NOAA Regional Climate Centers. Accessed January 1, 2026.
May 20, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The coming week appears likely to bring clouds, light rain, and temperatures nearer to what is usual for the season, with daytime highs mostly in the 50s. Though the rainfall is not expected to amount to much, the cooler air, moist conditions, and the greening spreading through the trees and roadsides should lessen the recent fire danger. Even so, by month’s end May will have brought scarcely two-thirds of its normal rainfall. That dryness helps explain why the recent fire this side of Cascade spread with such speed, destroying Creech's camps along with the fish houses of Herman Helmerson, Olaf Olson, Peter Olson, Nels Wick, Hilmer Aabick, Peter Fredrickson, and Chris Johnson. Dry woods have a way of settling arguments in favor of the fire.
May 13, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The coming week will bring southerly winds, blue skies, and temperatures that will feel more like August than the middle of May. By next week, conditions should return nearer to normal, accompanied by increasing cloud cover. These warm days will hasten the swelling of buds and the bursting forth of leaves across the county. The feeling of spring is plainly in the air.
May 6, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The coming week will bring a taste of spring to town and, farther inland, something nearer to summer. Temperatures will rise to seasonable levels, with dry, sunny days and a steady wind over the weekend; conditions well suited to fire and therefore requiring care. Clouds will return next week, bringing cooler air. The longer outlook suggests a warming trend.
April 29, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
As April takes her leave, her temperatures remain behind. The opening of May appears unseasonable, with the chance of light snow next Monday and Tuesday. For the first week, expect mostly cloudy and dreary conditions, and the grasses and town yards will likely stay brown a while longer. In the low places and along the edges of the woods, the first signs of spring are beginning to show. Bloodroot in bloom and the leaves of marsh marigold turning green, which are easily missed if a man keeps his eyes only ahead.
April 22, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The coming week appears likely to run cooler than is usual for late April, with daytime temperatures mostly in the 40s. Expect cloudy skies and a fair amount of wind on several days. Rain should fall through most of next Tuesday. Around the weather tower, the snow has now gone from all but the darkest places in the woods, where winter still stakes a few quiet claims.
Climatological Data for GRAND MARAIS, MN, May 1926 | NOAA
Climatological data from the Grand Marais, Minnesota weather station from May 1926. Weather data provided by NOAA Regional Climate Centers. Accessed January 1, 2026.
April 15, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
Spring, it seems, intends to arrive all at once this coming week. Temperatures will leap into the 70s, and inland may climb into the 80s beneath blue skies and a high sun. Much of the remaining snow will vanish in the warmth, ushering in mud season faster than many would like, but welcome all the same. Even so, there is something stirring in the wind that suggests a return to snow in early May.
April 8, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
Another week of winter’s hold lies before us. Daytime temperatures will climb above freezing, yet still sit below what April usually promises. On Tuesday, much like last week, expect another round of snow, about an inch and a half in town, with greater amounts inland. Even so, the brown seams of earth are beginning to show through the thinning snowpack. I am told that mud season is nearly upon us and that a northern Minnesota mud season is something a man ought to experience at least once before calling himself a man. My own forecast is that the ice will go out on Lake Superior by tomorrow.
April 1, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
Winter seems intent on lingering past its welcome. The coming week will run colder than is customary for early April, with daytime temperatures only narrowly climbing above freezing. Snow is likely next Tuesday and should leave a half-inch cover in town, with deeper totals for those living farther inland.
Climatological Data for GRAND MARAIS, MN, April 1926 | NOAA
Climatological data from the Grand Marais, Minnesota weather station from April 1926. Weather data provided by NOAA Regional Climate Centers. Accessed January 1, 2026.
March 25, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
Though spring made a brief appearance in the county last Saturday, the coming week will return to colder conditions, with daytime highs remaining below freezing and average temperatures falling below normal. Despite the chill, the days should be marked by sun and generally calm weather through the weekend. By Sunday, however, a system is expected to bring three inches or more of snow, with heavier amounts likely inland.
March 18, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
Southwest winds over the coming week will bring a taste of spring to our shore. Daytime highs will reach into the 40s and may approach 50 degrees by the middle of next week. Otherwise, expect mostly blue skies during the day with increasing cloud cover at night.
March 1926 | Fins, feather, and fur: The Official Bulletin of the Minnesota Game and Fish Department
Brule Lake Trek Appeals to Many. (1926). Fins, Feather, and Fur: The Official Bulletin of the Minnesota Game and Fish Department, (45), pg 68.
March 11, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
Having just returned from the Brule Lake trek with the Minnesota Game and Fish Department, I hurried to consult the tools of my trade to provide a forecast for the coming week. Conditions will turn milder, with temperatures expected to reach 44 degrees by next Thursday. Light snow flurries are likely Monday and Wednesday, leaving just enough fresh cover to hide the debris scattered by last week’s winds. Blowing and drifting snow will continue at times, particularly along the road from town toward Port Arthur.
March 4, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
Only last week I remarked that, mild as it has been, March often brings renewed snowfall. That prediction was borne out on the closing days of February, when across the lake at Escanaba, Michigan, the heaviest snowstorm in years brought street car service to a standstill and forced mills and factories to close.
Climatological Data for GRAND MARAIS, MN, March 1926 | NOAA
Climatological data from the Grand Marais, Minnesota weather station from March 1926. Weather data provided by NOAA Regional Climate Centers. Accessed January 1, 2026.
February 25, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
February closes with temperatures remaining above the seasonal average, while the opening days of March are expected to turn colder. Daytime readings during the coming week should reach into the twenties with generally light winds. In other words, what is considered below normal for March will feel milder than much of February. Winter, however, shows no sign of being finished. The weather records indicate that March commonly brings renewed snowfall, and I expect that pattern will hold this year. There is already a hint of a storm in the air, arriving in time for the Minnesota Game and Fish Department’s annual snowshoe trek.
Snow Removal Operations on Good Harbor Hill, Cook County, Minnesota Circa 1920s
Good Harbor Hill is on old Highway 1 northeast of Good Harbor Bay.
February 18, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
Stable winter conditions are expected to continue through the coming week, with daytime highs generally in the twenties and nighttime temperatures falling below zero. By next Wednesday, a warm front moving up from the south is expected to bring milder daytime temperatures along with the final measurable snowfall of the month. Approximately two inches of snow are anticipated on Wednesday, which would bring February’s total snowfall in town to 9.2 inches.
February 11, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The coming week will bring continued mild conditions for mid-February. Daytime temperatures are expected to hover near the freezing mark, with Saturday’s high reaching approximately 38 degrees. Snow and mixed precipitation are likely to accompany the warmer air on Saturday, with an estimated inch and a half of accumulation, followed by another inch on Sunday. Inland areas will remain colder and may receive slightly heavier snowfall. The remainder of the week should be clear, with temperatures dropping below zero overnight but moderating during the day.
Snow Removal with Caterpillar Tractors (circa 1926)
Example snowplows from 1926.
February 4, 1926 Weather From the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
Temperatures over the coming week are expected to remain mild, with Saturday likely to rise above freezing. Much of the week will be above seasonal normal. Sunday is expected to bring several inches of fresh snow. Night temperatures should remain above zero until next Wednesday. Winds will be light, and it should not be long before Lake Superior begins to freeze in earnest.
Tuesday, February 2, 1926 WEATHERMAN WINS FAVOR IN GRAND MARAIS | The Duluth Herald
WEATHERMAN WINS FAVOR IN GRAND MARAIS
Climatological Data for GRAND MARAIS, MN, February 1926 | NOAA
Climatological data from the Grand Marais, Minnesota weather station from February 1926. Weather data provided by NOAA Regional Climate Centers. Accessed January 1, 2026.
January 28, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald
The coming week appears set to bring daytime temperatures back into the twenties. Conditions should remain calm but largely overcast, with light snow on most days and heavier amounts expected on Friday and again on the final day of the month. It looks to be the sort of week where the world takes on the appearance of a snow globe. If you have not seen one, a relative newly arrived in this country recently showed me such an object, it’s a small winter scene enclosed in glass, where, when shaken, the snow drifts down and settles again. I am told these may soon be available for purchase here.
January 21, 1926 | Cook County News Herald
The coming week is expected to turn colder, with conditions more in keeping with late January. Strong winds are likely on the 24th and into the 25th, accompanied by blowing snow and accumulations of several inches. Travel may be difficult at times, particularly during periods of drifting. High school students walking to school on Monday should take care, as temperatures near 8 degrees, combined with wind, will make conditions severe.
Souvenir Lake Superior International Highway Port Arthur, Fort William, Canada and Duluth, Minnesota, U.S.A.
Highway 1 bridge over the Cross River, Minnesota.
January 14, 1926 | Cook County News Herald
Last week, our kindly editor allowed me more space than usual, so I will keep things shorter this time. I would like to thank everyone for the dances at the Trading Post. It was good to see the floor put to proper use, and I am still feeling it in my legs.
January 7, 1926 | Cook County News Herald
Before turning to the weather, I would like to thank the City of Grand Marais and its residents for the warm welcome and the appointment as town weatherman. I look forward to meeting many of you in the weeks ahead. I plan to attend the Saturday dance at the Trading Post Rustic Room, where, as a gentleman, I will gladly pay the one-dollar admission. I am told that ladies are admitted free. Coincidentally, the annual cost of a subscription to the Cook County News Herald is also one dollar, which seems a fair arrangement all around.
Map of Lake and Cook counties in the Minnesota Arrowhead Country. 1926
A map that official Grand Marais Weatherman Olaf Thorvaldsen would have used in 1926. Full sized.
Climatological Data for GRAND MARAIS, MN, January 1926 | NOAA
Climatological data from the Grand Marais, Minnesota weather station from January 1926. Weather data provided by NOAA Regional Climate Centers. Accessed January 1, 2026.
December 31, 1925 | Cook County News Herald
Grand Marais, Minn. — Grand Marais has officially appointed Olaf Thorvaldsen to the newly created position of town weatherman. Thorvaldsen will occupy the recently constructed weather observation tower at the top of the hill.