WEATHER: Winter weather advisory until 9 tonight

• There's snow down there

A sidewalk snow mover begins to clear a new April-fresh coating of snow on the Grand Forks County Office Building walkway at the side of the Metropolitan Opera House Building in downtown Grand Forks. The photo was taken from atop the county office building parking ramp Friday afternoon, April 15, 2011.

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A spring storm could bring 2 to 6 inches of wet snow to the Red River Valley by the end of the day today, capping off a week that started with sunny days and temperatures in the 60s.

A winter weather advisory until 9 tonight includes the cities of Grand Forks, Fargo, Devils Lake, Mayville and Wahpeton, among some others.

National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Barrett said Thursday night that areas of central and southeastern North Dakota could see significant snowfall throughout the day, and the Valley City area is expected to see 6 to 8 inches of snow.

But eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota won’t be left out of this storm, and most of the region can expect to get 3 to 6 inches of new snow before the storm tapers off tonight.

Barrett said above-freezing temperatures today — including an expected high of 40 degrees in Grand Forks — could result in the precipitation falling as a rain and snow mix.

And the weather service warns that the falling snow, combined with strong winds, could make for slippery or snow-covered roads and difficult traveling conditions in some areas.

But Barrett said the new snow shouldn’t have much of an impact on river levels as much of the region braces for or recently saw spring flood crests.

“Maybe it will just cause things to fall a little bit more slowly,” he said. “From Grand Forks on south, it looks like it would probably have a minimal effect just because of the timing.”

Barrett said the region is in store for below-normal temperatures and more chances of rain or snow over the next week. By this time of year, Grand Forks has an average high temperature in the low to mid-50s and a low in the 30s.

The weather service expects Grand Forks to reach highs in the low 40s Saturday and Sunday with lows in the 20s, and the city likely won’t see thermometers reach the 50-degree mark again until next Thursday.

Meteorologists have said for months that this spring was on track to be colder than normal, and Barrett said it’s not out of the ordinary for the temperature to dip back down after the first stretch of spring-like weather. But that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with another round of snow at the end of a long winter, he said.

“It doesn’t come as a surprise, even though most people wouldn’t want to see snow as we get into this time of year,” he said.

Forecast

Here’s the updated weather service’s forecast for Grand Forks:

Today: A chance of snow before 1 p.m., then rain and snow. High near 39. East wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Tonight: Rain and snow likely before 1 p.m., then a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. North northeast wind between 6 and 9 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Northwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. North northwest wind between 8 and 10 mph.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 43. North northwest wind between 7 and 9 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Monday: A slight chance of snow before 1pm, then a slight chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Monday Night: A slight chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29.

Tuesday: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44.

Tuesday Night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 49.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 51.

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