Winter Storm Eric envelopes everything, dumps heavy snow throughout N.D.

Winter Storm Eric, the fifth major storm of the year, swept through North Dakota on Monday, leaving behind up to a foot of snow in some areas.

Counties in northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota remained under a winter storm warning until 6 a.m. Tuesday.

The Herald named the winter storm Eric after its longtime photographer Eric Hylden, whose photos have appeared in the paper for 27 years.

Eric brought winds reaching up to 25 mph that resulted in poor visibility and drifting snow throughout the Red River Valley. Some drifts reaching heights of 3 feet were observed by roadways near Gilby, N.D., about 20 miles northwest of Grand Forks.

Heavy snowfall

Snow piled up by the foot in some areas of North Dakota.

"The Devils Lake Basin and the northern valley are getting the brunt of it," said Jim Kaiser, a weather service meteorologist in Grand Forks.

Devils Lake received about 11 inches of snow, while Sarles, N.D., located in northwest Cavalier County, recorded 12 inches by midday Monday, according to the weather service.

The National Weather Service office in Grand Forks recorded 4 inches of snow at its facility Monday.

Another 1 to 3 inches was possible for the northern parts of North Dakota and Minnesota by 6 a.m. today.

Several counties in northeastern North Dakota issued no-travel advisories for Monday because of icy roads or poor visibility.

Meanwhile, no-travel alerts also were in effect in other areas of the state, including the Jamestown and Valley City areas, according to the North Dakota Department of Transportation and North Dakota Highway Patrol.

The storm's path

The storm, with mixed precipitation and gusty winds, moved east out of Montana overnight Sunday and crossed the Dakotas into Minnesota and Iowa.

"There's quite a variance (in precipitation) depending on where you are, but overall, it's a pretty large storm system," said Dave Kellenbenz, a weather service meteorologist in Grand Forks.

While as much as a foot of snow had fallen on some parts of the northern valley and the Devils Lake Basin, the southern valley saw much less.

Fargo had about 2 inches by about 2:30 p.m. Monday, with another 1 to 2 inches expected.

Snow did not start falling until early Monday afternoon in the Bemidji area, which could see 5 to 8 inches of snow by today, according to the weather service.

Despite the heavy snowfall, melting winter snowfall won't do much to alleviate the extremely dry soil conditions across Minnesota, even if some areas experience spring flooding, according to State Climatologist Greg Spoden.

Soil moisture is at an all-time low in the state, and the Department of Natural Resources said even flooding will not alleviate a drought.

Call Jewett at (701) 780-1108; (800) 477-6572, ext. 1108; or send email to bjewett@gfherald.com .

Call Bonham at (701) 780-1110; (800) 477-6572, ext. 1110; or send email to kbonham@gfherald.com .

-- Sarles: 12 inches.

-- Devils Lake: 11 inches.

-- Pembina: 11 inches.

-- Minnewaukan: 6 inches.

-- Gilby: 10 inches

-- Mayville: 8 inches.

-- Park River: 6 inches.

-- Cavalier: 5 inches.

-- Grand Forks (National Weather Service): 4 inches.

-- Grand Forks (airport): 4.5 inches.

-- Hillsboro: 2 inches.

-- Clearwater, Minn., 2.5 inches.

Forecast

• Tuesday: Patchy, blowing snow and a chance of snow before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 21. North wind at 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

• Tuesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low near 4. North-northwest winds at 5 to 10 mph, becoming light after midnight.

• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 22. Calm wind becoming southeast at 5 to 9 mph in the morning.

• Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low near 12. Southeast wind at 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

• Thursday: A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 30.

• Thursday night: A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low near 16.

• Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 27.

• Friday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low near 10.