Winter Storm Likely this Weekend

•Snow begins Saturday and continues through Sunday

•Over 6" of snow likely in southern Red River Valley

•Freezing rain possible near ND/SD border as well as west-central and northern MN Saturday

•Winds increase late Saturday night and Sunday with blowing and drifting snow expected

Hazards: Widespread heavy snowfall and gusty winds causing blowing/drifting snow and limited visibility. Freezing rain possible as well.

Areas Impacted:Southern 2/3rds of eastern ND and much of northwest MN.

Timing & Duration: Widespread heavy snowfall on Saturday/Sunday and gusty winds causing blowing/drifting snow and limited visibility late Saturday night into Sunday night. Freezing rain possible on Saturday near ND/SD border and adjacent areas of west-central MN

Impacts: Travel is likely to be impacted and may be hazardous starting in the southern Red River Valley with conditions gradually worsening from Saturday into Sunday.

Certainty & Considerations: Certainty in over 6" of snow is relatively high for southeast ND. However, it's too early to provide exact forecast snowfall amounts. The strength of the winds and the possibility of freezing rain remain in question at this time.

•Based on the latest forecast, the likelihood of over 6" of snow is high across parts of the region.

•Freezing rain is possible at the beginning of the event on Saturday, mainly in southeastern ND as well as west-central and northwest MN.

•The strong winds will lag the start of the snow by 12 to 24 hrs and will likely cause blowing and drifting snow in areas.

•Monitor future forecast updates as more details will be included as the confidence increases.

Winter Storm Watch

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Grand Forks ND

331 PM CST Thu Dec 26 2019

West Polk-Norman-Clay-Lake Of The Woods-West Marshall-East Marshall-North Beltrami-Pennington-Red Lake-East Polk-North Clearwater-South Beltrami-Mahnomen-South Clearwater-Hubbard-West Becker-East Becker-Wilkin-West Otter Tail-East Otter Tail-Wadena-Grant-Grand Forks-Griggs-Steele-Traill-Barnes-Cass-Ransom-

Sargent-Richland-Including the cities of Crookston, East Grand Forks, Ada,Twin Valley, Halstad, Moorhead, Baudette,

Warren, Stephen,Argyle, Newfolden, Middle River, Grygla, Red Lake, Redby, Ponemah, Thief River Falls, Red Lake Falls, Fosston, Fertile, McIntosh, Erskine, Bagley, Clearbrook, Bemidji, Mahnomen, Naytahwaush, Waubun, Alida, Ebro, Lake Itasca, Long Lost Lake, Lower Rice Lake, Roy Lake, Upper Rice Lake, Park Rapids, Detroit Lakes, Wolf Lake, Breckenridge, Fergus Falls, Perham, New York Mills, Parkers Prairie, Henning, Battle Lake, Wadena, Menahga, Elbow Lake, Hoffman, Ashby, Herman, Barrett, Grand Forks, Cooperstown, Finley, Hope, Mayville, Hillsboro, Hatton, Portland, Valley City, Fargo, Lisbon, Enderlin, Gwinner, Milnor, Forman, Rutland, and Wahpeton

331 PM CST Thu Dec 26 2019

WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT...

* WHAT...Heavy mixed precipitation possible. Total snow accumulations of 6 or more inches and ice accumulations of up to one tenth of an inch possible. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.

* WHERE...Portions of central, north central, northwest and west central Minnesota and northeast and southeast North Dakota.

* WHEN...From late Friday night through late Sunday night.

* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Heavy snow accumulations greater than 6 inches will be possible over parts of the area, although precise location and amounts are still uncertain. Blowing and drifting snow as well as potential for some ice will create travel impacts.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation.

Detailed Forecast

Tonight

Cloudy early, then gradual clearing, with a low around 15. West southwest wind around 6 mph.

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 25. Southwest wind 6 to 8 mph.

Friday Night

Increasing clouds, with a low around 11. South southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm after midnight.

Saturday

A 30 percent chance of snow after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 26. Light and variable wind.

Saturday Night

A chance of snow before 9pm, then a chance of snow and freezing rain between 9pm and 11pm, then a chance of snow after 11pm. Cloudy, with a low around 18. Light northeast wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Sunday

Snow likely before 2pm, then snow likely, possibly mixed with freezing rain. The snow could be heavy at times. Cloudy, with a high near 27. Northeast wind 10 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Sunday Night

A chance of snow and freezing rain before 7pm, then a chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 13. North wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday

A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly before noon. Cloudy, with a high near 20. North wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

Monday Night

A 20 percent chance of snow before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 6. North wind 6 to 8 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday

Partly sunny, with a high near 19. West wind around 6 mph.

Tuesday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 8. South southwest wind around 6 mph.

New Year's Day

A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 25. South southwest wind around 6 mph.

Wednesday Night

A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. South wind around 6 mph.

Thursday

A 20 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 22. West wind around 6 mph.

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?x=286&y=70&site=fgf&zmx=&zmy=&map_x=286&map_y=70