GRAND FORKS — Wind gusts reaching past 50 mph in the Grand Forks region have prompted the North Dakota Highway Patrol to warn motorists of dangerous travel on Friday, May 13.
In a release sent to the media, the agency urges all motorists to travel with care.
"During these conditions, high-profile, long-load type, and permitted over dimensional vehicles have restricted travel," the NDHP said in the release. "North Dakota law restricts movement for these vehicles when wind or other conditions may cause the vehicle or attachment to swerve, whip, sway, or fail to follow in the path of the towing vehicle."
The release noted that federal regulations direct the operators of commercial motor vehicles to reduce speeds when hazardous conditions such as snow, ice, sleet, fog, mist, rain, dust or smoke adversely affect visibility or traction. These same regulations direct CMV drivers to cease operations altogether if conditions become sufficiently dangerous.
Northeast North Dakota is in a high wind warning Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Winds Friday morning were in the range of 27 mph, but will increase in the afternoon. Gusts could reach as high as 55 mph.
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It comes after storms swept through the region Thursday evening, bringing strong winds, lightning and 1.48 inches of rain to Grand Forks.
Saturday, the National Weather Service forecast calls for a 30% chance of showers after 1 p.m., but mostly sunny with a high near 59. It will again be breezy, but not as bad as Friday, with gusts into the 32 mph range.
Sunday, it likely will be sunny with a high of 63 and again breezy, according to the NWS.
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