UPDATE: North-central N.D. in blizzard warning until 9 p.m.

The National Weather Service has extended a blizzard warning for counties in north-central North Dakota until 9 p.m. There's a winter weather advisory that follows the warning period, in effect until noon Friday.

Here's the weather service statement out of the Bismarck office:

BLIZZARD CONDITIONS NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA

THROUGH 9 PM CST...

.VERY STRONG WINDS UP TO 45 MPH WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE BLIZZARD

CONDITIONS FROM WILLISTON AND WATFORD CITY...THROUGH STANLEY AND

MINOT...TO BOTTINEAU AND RUGBY. SNOW WAS ENDING ACROSS THE AREA

BUT THE STRONG WINDS CONTINUE TO CAUSE NEAR ZERO VISIBILITIES IN

BLOWING SNOW. WIND CHILLS WILL BE AS LOW AS 30 BELOW. AVOID

TRAVEL.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY

THROUGH THE NIGHT.

RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-WARD-MCHENRY-PIERCE-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOHALL...BOTTINEAU...ROLLA...MINOT...

TOWNER...RUGBY

612 PM CST THU FEB 17 2011

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD

WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING.

* 2 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW HAS FALLEN IN THE WARNED AREA. UP TO AN

INCH OF NEW SNOW IS POSSIBLE YET THIS EVENING.

* STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS TO 40 MPH WILL CREATE NEAR ZERO

VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

* WIND CHILLS TO 30 BELOW ARE POSSIBLE LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE

EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. IF YOU GET STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR

VEHICLE.