The region is under a winter weather advisory from noon today until 6 a.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
It's not the first winter weather advisory of this remarkably warm, snow-free winter, said Bill Barrett, meteorologist in the weather service's Grand Forks office. "But it's been a while," he said.
So far, this is the warmest winter on record in Grand Forks and Fargo, going back well into the 19th century. Snowfall in Grand Forks, at just under a foot, is two feet below normal since July 1.
But that will get bolstered today.
Three to five inches of snow is expected across much of eastern North Dakota moving into northwest Minnesota, he said. But the Devils Lake Basin should "evade this system," he said.
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In a band about 150 miles wide, stretching from the southwest to the northeast, from Valley City, N.D., to Grand Forks, to Hallock, Minn., three to five inches of snow is expected, Barrett said.
The amounts could vary a lot in a short distance, according to the weather service.
Southerly winds will be light and not a big factor, and the temperature will remain near freezing, Barrett said.
The system, in fact, could start as rain in southern North Dakota, but will be all snow by the time it gets to the Grand Forks area this afternoon, he said.
The advisory means driving will be difficult, even dangerous because of snow-covered roads and limited visibility today, according to the weather service.
The low-pressure system will move out of Wyoming and South Dakota into south-central North Dakota this morning, move east and north, hitting the northern Red River Valley this afternoon. By tonight, it will pass into northwest Minnesota, the weather service said.
Travelers should be careful, taking normal winter weather driving pre-cautions, according to the weather service.
Temperatures should remain mild for this time of year; it was 33 degrees above zero just before 11 p.m. Sunday in Grand Forks, Barrett said.
