textproduct: Grand Forks

KEY MESSAGES

- Gusty winds are expected starting this morning and lasting until early this evening. North winds of 20-30 mph are likely along with gusts ranging from 40-50 mph. Best chances will be in the Red River Valley, especially south of Highway 2.

- Widespread rainfall continues today. There is a 70 percent chance for soaking rainfall of 1 inch or more within far southeast North Dakota into Minnesota.

..Widespread Rainfall Tonight into Monday

A large low pressure system will propagate northeastward from Kansas to Lake Superior over the next 36 hours. As it passes to our south and east, we will find ourselves in a region of steady stratiform precipitation. Rain will start this evening in the south, spreading across all of southeastern ND and MN tonight. There are still a few model differences in how far south/east the low tracks, which will determine where the cut off in heavier rain versus much lighter totals sets up. Rain will end from west to east as the center of low pressure quickly tracks to the north and east Monday afternoon and evening.

Rainfall totals will vary from nothing/sprinkles in parts of the Devils Lake Basin to over an inch in our far eastern counties where residence time of the steadiest rain will be longest. Probabilities for an inch or more of rain are highest in west central MN at 70%. Totals will vary most over short distances on the western edge of the heaviest rain, where little shifts in the systems track will make a big difference in the final amount of rain received. This includes places such as Valley City, Grand Forks, Thief River Falls, and Roseau.

Additionally, it will be breezy on Monday. The best pressure rises are to our south, but with a 1025 mb high over Saskatchewan and a near 990 mb low in southern MN, the pressure gradient should be enough to drive wind gusts up to 40 mph or so. Future shifts will need to monitor if a wind advisory is needed for any zones Monday morning and afternoon. Right now, based on the weak temperature advection, questionable mixing depth and the bullseye of pressure rises being outside our CWA, decided to hold on issuing any headlines at this time.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY/

Issued at 1135 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

Rain is already across southeast ND and west central MN and will continue to spread north through the early TAF period, with rain rates resulting in visibility reductions 3-6 at times. Where heavier rain rates occur brief visibility drops to 1sm may occur (30% mainly in southeast ND and west central MN0. MVFR ceilings will also overspread most TAF sites followed by a large area of IFR ceilings over east ND and northwest MN. KDVL is more likely to remain VFR through the TAF period, with much less organized precipitation potential based on the current track of the system.

Winds also shift from the east-southeast to northeast and eventually north-northwest through the TAF period as low pressure passes to the southeast of the region. Strongest wind gusts are still expected to exceed 30kt through the daytime period Monday, with the potential for gusts around 40kt at times in the Red River Valley Monday afternoon.

There is still uncertainty in how quickly rain clears and VFR starts returning, however there should be an improving trend northwest to east (first ND then KTVF). Lingering light rain and MVFR ceilings are more likely through the late afternoon/evening in MN at KBJI.

FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

ND...Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 7 PM CDT this evening for NDZ008-016-026>030-038-039-049-052>054. MN...Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 7 PM CDT this evening for MNZ001>004-007-029.