The barge-tug combo Great Lakes Trader-Joyce L. VanEnkevort arrived in Duluth on Tuesday morning to pick up a load of iron ore pellets.

It already was carrying a cargo of ice.

Below-zero temperatures and westerly winds led to freezing spray on Lake Superior and left the vessel coated in ice as it passed through the Duluth ship canal, with a group of onlookers on hand in the frigid conditions. It had warmed up to about zero in Canal Park by the time the ship arrived at about 10:20 a.m., after subzero temperatures to start the day.

Meanwhile, at least one other vessel was at anchor on Lake Superior offshore from Duluth on Tuesday morning, shrouded in sea smoke rising from the still relatively warm waters of the lake.

Morning lows Tuesday in the Northland were in the single digits and teens below zero, including 6 below at the Duluth harbor, 7 below in Superior, 11 below at the Duluth airport, 14 below at Hibbing and International Falls, 16 below at Cotton and 17 below at Togo and Embarrass, according to the National Weather Service. Wind chills dropped to 30 below zero in parts of the region.

Tuesday’s high in Duluth was 5 degrees above zero.

While far from a record, Tuesday’s temperatures were 15-20 degrees below normal. The average high in Duluth at this time of year is 23 degrees; the average low is 8 above zero.

The cold weather is forecast to continue through much of the week ahead, with highs near zero Wednesday and wind chills of 20-30 below. As of Tuesday night a wind chill advisory had been issued for the Iron Range, Ely, the Boundary Waters, International Falls and Grand Rapids through noon Wednesday.

After lows in the teens below zero for many parts of the Northland tonight, temperatures will again struggle to climb above zero on Thursday.

There may be a slight warmup on Friday - highs perhaps near 10 degrees, with a chance of accumulating snow - before temperatures plunge again on Saturday and Sunday.