UPDATE: Winter storm warning for extended Red River Valley

UPDATED: The entire extended Red River Valley from Wahpeton, N.D., north to the Canadian border and going as far west as Rugby, N.D. and east to Bemidji is under a winter storm warning, the National Weather Service has announced, as two storms are coming our way bringing a total of as much as 10 inches of snow in some spots.

The winter storm warning goes into effect at 6 p.m. today for part of the region and midnight tonight for the rest of the area, and remains in effect until 6 a.m. Friday; a new winter storm watch will go into effect from Friday afternoon through Saturday morning.

The affected area includes all of northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota.

The winter storm warning went into effect at 6 p.m. today for the Devils Lake Basin, and will go into effect at midnight for the Grand Forks and Crookston areas and most of the Red River Valley. It remains in effect until 6 a.m. Friday.

It will begin snowing in the Valley after midnight tonight, blowing and drifting all night, with 1 to 3 inches accumulating.

The temperature will fall to 5 to 10 above, with northeast winds of 15 to 25 mph making windchills dangerous and below zero.

On Thursday, the same, with another 2 to 4 inches of snow accumulating, and north winds from 25 to 35 mph. Thursday night the storm continues, with another 1 to 3 inches of snow falling and temperatures falling to zero to 5 degrees below and wind chills down to 25 below

Friday the snow fall will taper off, then pick up again Friday night into Saturday. Temperatures will fall to 10 to 15 below by Saturday morning.

The first storm first will hit the Devils Lake Basin late tonight or early Thursday, moving east across the region with 4 t0 6 inches of snow possible by early Friday.

A brief break in the snow action will occur early Friday before the second storm moves in Friday afternoon into New Year’s Day on Saturday, with temperatures plunging and wind chills dropping as low as 35 below by Sunday as high winds kick in.

Blizzard conditions likely will develop later Friday and travel will be difficult and dangerous.

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