As of Friday afternoon, Grand Forks was forecasted to get the most snow it has all season, with anywhere from 4 to 8 inches predicted to fall by Saturday morning, according to the Grand Forks office of the National Weather Service .
NWS meteorologist Brad Hopkins said a winter storm warning, which warns against heavy snow and blowing snow, was issued at 3 p.m. Friday and is in effect until 6 p.m. Saturday, with more snow predicted for areas north of U.S. Highway 2 all the way up to the Canadian border. Generally, most Grand Forks residents can expect 4 to 6 inches, he said.
In addition to the snowfall, Hopkins said high winds are also expected.
"Colder air will be filtering down (Saturday)," he said. "We could see some wind gusts of 30-35 mph. Near-blizzard conditions are possible in open country."
Hopkins said the wind and snow will combine to reduce visibility in open country to anywhere from a half mile to a quarter of a mile, which could make travel difficult.
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The North Dakota Department of Transportation issued a travel alert for northeast North Dakota at 4:55 p.m. Friday, citing the NWS report of heavy snow near U.S. Highway 2 and north to the Canadian border.
A Travel Alert does not mean that motorists shouldn't drive, but they should pay attention to the road conditions. If conditions deteriorate, the alert will escalate to "No Travel Advised."
"Motorists are encouraged to reduce speeds and drive according to the conditions," the alert said.
This is the biggest snowstorm predicted to hit Grand Forks so far this winter.
