Issued by The National Weather Service
Fargo/Grand Forks, ND
3:45 pm CDT, Sun., Mar. 8, 2009
... BLIZZARD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING...
THE BLIZZARD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.
SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ACROSS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA LATE TONIGHT AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY MONDAY. ONE TO THREE INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED WITH THIS FIRST ROUND OF SNOW. A SECOND ROUND OF SNOW IS EXPECTED FROM TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. SIX TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS SECOND SYSTEM. NORTH WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH FROM TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF WIND AND SNOW SHOULD RESULT IN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS FROM TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. WIND CHILLS TUESDAY NIGHT ARE EXPECTED TO FALL TO DANGEROUS LEVELS OF 30 BELOW TO 35 BELOW.
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS MAY BE A BIT LOWER ACROSS THE DEVILS LAKE TO CANDO AREAS... WHERE AMOUNTS MAY ONLY RANGE FROM TWO TO FOUR INCHES. HOWEVER... BLIZZARD CONDITIONS COULD STILL RESULT WITH THE STRONGER WINDS.
A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES. THIS CAN LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND MAKE TRAVEL VERY DANGEROUS.
More Information
... TWO ROUNDS OF SNOW TO AFFECT THE AREA...
.THE FIRST ROUND OF SNOW IS EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. THIS SNOW WILL ACCOMPANY A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE. AT THIS TIME... SNOW AMOUNTS WITH THIS FIRST SYSTEM LOOK TO RANGE FROM ONE TO THREE INCHES... WITH SOME ISOLATED FOUR INCH AMOUNTS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE PARK RAPIDS... BEMIDJI AND LAKE ITASCA AREAS. NORTH WINDS ALSO LOOK TO INCREASE AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT... CAUSING SOME DRIFTING SNOW IN OPEN COUNTRY.
A MUCH STRONGER STORM SYSTEM WILL TARGET THE NORTHERN PLAINS FROM TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS STRONGER SYSTEM IS A COLORADO LOW... AND CURRENTLY LOOKS TO TRACK FROM COLORADO ON TUESDAY MORNING TO NEAR LACROSSE WISCONSIN BY EARLY TUESDAY EVENING. THIS TRACK IS STILL SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN... BUT AS IT STANDS NOW... IT WOULD SPREAD THE MOST SNOW ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM JAMESTOWN TO GRAND FORKS TO ROSEAU. AMOUNTS IN THIS REGION COULD RANGE FROM 6 TO 12 INCHES... BUT BETTER CHANCES FOR THE 12 INCH AMOUNTS WOULD BE ACROSS THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF MINNESOTA. LOWER SNOW AMOUNTS... FROM TWO TO FOUR INCHES... ARE ANTICIPATED IN THE DEVILS LAKE REGION.
AT THIS POINT... IT APPEARS THAT THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE SOMEWHAT DELAYED... BECOMING STRONGEST BY LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND LASTING INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS BEING SOMEWHAT DELAYED... THE ONSET OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS MAY ALSO BE DELAYED. WITH THE UNCERTAINTY YET IN THE TRACK OF THE SURFACE LOW AND HEAVIEST SNOW BAND... THIS WATCH COULD STILL BE REFINED AT A LATER POINT. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DO LOOK THE MOST FAVORABLE FOR AREAS THAT RECEIVE THE MOST SNOW. THIS WOULD GIVE THE MOST UNCERTAINTY TO THE DEVILS LAKE TO CANDO REGION.
FOR THE FORESTED AREAS OF NORTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA... SLIGHTLY LOWER WIND SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED. THEREFORE... A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS ARE ALSO EXPECTED BY TUESDAY ALONG AND WEST OF THE RED RIVER... AND EVEN INTO AREAS EAST OF THE RED RIVER BY TUESDAY NIGHT.
Would be nice to get a big dump though!!:beer;
