Grand Forks region could get 6 to 9 inches of snow after drizzle coats streets and roads
Dec. 13—GRAND FORKS — What started as a slippery morning in Grand Forks — the streets were actually glistening before sunrise — will likely transition to a day with heavy snowfall with impacts to travel throughout the week, according to weather forecasters.
Overnight drizzle in Grand Forks created slick streets, driveways and sidewalks. Although there was little wind and temperatures were moderate at around 30, it was simply the calm before the storm.
"It is on its way," WDAY meteorologist Lydia Blume said during WDAY's Tuesday morning news. "We'll see heavy snow (Tuesday) afternoon and evening, and overnight looks to be when you're looking at the heaviest snowfall and the bulk of the accumulation in the system."
On Tuesday morning, the region was in a winter storm warning, including a number of counties in western Minnesota.
WDAY is predicting upwards of 6 to 9 inches of snow in the first wave of the system. Snowfall will subside Wednesday, but will be followed by patchy snow on Thursday and Friday, when an additional 1 to 3 inches could fall.
Then, WDAY predicts, winds likely will increase, with gusts upward of 40 to 45 mph on Thursday and Friday.
"That will blow all of this snow around, creating quite a bit of blowing and drifting and continue to impact travel, even after the snow is done falling from the sky," Blume said.
And then, she said, expect it to be "bitterly cold next week." Temperatures likely will top out in the low 30s Wednesday, but then only hit about 3 on Thursday. Next week, highs will remain below zero.
The worst of the storm probably will come in south-central North Dakota, where upwards of a foot of snow might fall. It's possible that 6 to 9 inches will come along a path that stretches from Valley City, Fargo, Cooperstown, Grand Forks, Crookston and even Bemidji. Farther north — in towns like Langdon, Hallock and Warroad — snowfall probably will be lighter, at about 3 to 6 inches.
The period of heaviest snow was expected by late afternoon Tuesday and through Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. In a report sent to the media Tuesday morning, the NWS predicts "moderate to heavy snow may continue into Wednesday afternoon across the Devils Lake basin into the northern valley."
The region can expect "a full week's worth of winter weather," Blume said on WDAY Tuesday morning.
