Photos and video: Lake Superior sea smoke rises amid subzero temps

By Wyatt Buckner

January 20, 2025 at 3:30 PM

DULUTH — Subzero temperatures lately have produced ethereal "smoke" on Lake Superior.

Also called "steam fog," sea smoke "forms when water evaporates from the warm water surface and immediately condenses in the cold air above," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Heat from the water warms the lower levels of the air creating a shallow layer of instability. It rises like smoke from the warm surface."

The National Weather Service in Duluth forecasts temperatures will climb to the upper teens Wednesday and hold for the rest of the week. Highs this weekend are expected to reach the mid-20s.