WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND

336 PM CDT WED MAR 19 2014

WEST POLK-NORMAN-KITTSON-ROSEAU-LAKE OF THE WOODS-WEST MARSHALL- EAST MARSHALL-NORTH BELTRAMI-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-EAST POLK- NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-SOUTH CLEARWATER-TOWNER- CAVALIER-PEMBINA-BENSON-RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH-EDDY-NELSON- GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-WESTERN WALSH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CROOKSTON...EAST GRAND FORKS... HALSTAD...HALLOCK...ROSEAU...BAUDETTE...WARREN...NEWFOLDEN...RED LAKE...THIEF RIVER FALLS...RED LAKE FALLS...FOSSTON...BAGLEY...BEMIDJI...MAHNOMEN...LAKE ITASCA...CANDO...LANGDON...CAVALIER...MADDOCK...LEEDS...DEVILS LAKE...GRAFTON...NEW ROCKFORD...LAKOTA...GRAND FORKS...COOPERSTOWN...FINLEY...MAYVILLE...ADAMS

336 PM CDT WED MAR 19 2014

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING.

* TIMING...RAIN AND SNOW LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON WILL BECOME ALL SNOW THURSDAY NIGHT. THE SNOW MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES. A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE REGION FRIDAY MORNING ...BRINGING ADDITIONAL SNOW SHOWERS AND STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS. THIS MAY LEAD TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES ON FRIDAY ALONG AND WEST OF THE RED RIVER VALLEY.

* WINDS...RELATIVELY LIGHT THURSDAY NIGHT. ON FRIDAY...BECOMING NORTH 25 TO 35 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

* VISIBILITIES...THURSDAY NIGHT...HEAVY SNOW IS POSSIBLE...AND COULD REDUCE THE VISIBILITY TO ONE QUARTER MILE AT TIMES. ON FRIDAY...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF BLOWING SNOW THAT COULD REDUCE VISIBILITY TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND WEST OF THE RED RIVER VALLEY.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...WIDESPREAD 3 TO 5 INCHES. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR A SMALLER AREA OF 6 OR MORE INCHES IF HEAVIER SNOW BANDS CAN DEVELOP.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.