textproduct: Grand Forks

KEY MESSAGES

- Snow showers and blowing snow will bring advisory level impacts today within eastern North Dakota and the Red River Valley. Impacts from blowing snow may occur again Thursday, mainly in open country.

- Dangerously cold wind chills of 40 below to 60 below are expected Thursday into the weekend.

UPDATE

Issued at 927 AM CST Wed Jan 21 2026

Adjusted POPs for light snow moving through the central and southern portions of the CWA. Widely scattered snow showers behind the main push. Still looking like the worst of the winds will be south and west of our area, but will keep a close eye on winds in the southern Red River Valley in case we get some higher gusts and more widespread and constant low visibility than expected.

UPDATE Issued at 735 AM CST Wed Jan 21 2026

Light snow continues to quickly migrate through the area toward the southeast. Still thinking generally half an inch up to 1 or 2 inches, with the 6 am observation at NWS Grand Forks at 0.2 inches and still snowing.

Cold front is trekking through the central portion of the state bringing increased northwest winds. Highest winds in our area are still anticipated to be from near the Devils Lake basin, through the Sheyenne River Valley, into the southern Red River Valley. Gusts to 50 mph are still possible around midday in southeast ND and far southern Red River Valley.

Regional radar and satellite imagery reveal narrow bands of snow showers, of which may be holding brief moderate to heavy snow rates. This combined with gusty winds will lead to blowing snow and sudden reductions in visibility. Most significantly reduced visibility perhaps reaching near-blizzrd conditions are expected to be within snow showers themselves within open country late this morning through afternoon.

This is particularly true in southeast North Dakota and southern Red River Valley where there is a 20% chance to see blizzard conditions develop should coverage of snow showers be dense/widespread and/or enough blowable snow is present to sustain blizzard conditions (both of which are points of uncertainty).

..Impacts to travel conditions today into Thursday

Strongest winds up to 50 mph are forecast to be within eastern North Dakota into the southern Red River Valley.Snow showers will be capable of producing brief/narrow bands of moderate to heavy snow. The combination of gusty winds and snow showers will reduce visibility less than 1/2 mile, at times near whiteout conditions within heaviest showers, mainly within open country of eastern North Dakota and the Red River Valley.

Behind the arctic front Thursday, a resurgence in more scattered snow showers holding light to perhaps briefly moderate snow are forecast Thursday, as well as another increase in winds gusting 15-30 mph, highest within the eastern Red River Valley. The increase in winds, very cold temperatures, and lingering snow showers will drive reduced visibility from blowing snow in open country within eastern North Dakota and the Red River Valley.

Uncertainty continues in how widespread or sustained markedly reduced visibility may be for any location within eastern North Dakota and the Red River Valley both Wednesday and Thursday. This mainly stems from uncertainty in how much snow will be able to blow around - general expectation is around 1 inch of snow depth across the area is available to blow around, which may not be enough to sustain more consistent whiteout conditions (in addition to a lack of strong winds), but some areas may locally hold closer to 2 inches of blowable snowpack. Additional uncertainty comes from coverage, or how dense, sow showers may be. The denser the coverage, the more potential for sustained reduced visibility less than 1/2 mile.

At this time advisory-level impacts are forecast today in eastern North Dakota and Red River Valley, with a 40% chance at seeing advisory level impacts again during the day Thursday, mainly within the eastern Red River Valley. The chance for blizzard conditions is around 20%, within eastern North Dakota and the southern Red River Valley today - again, dependent upon snow showers lingering over any one particular area in eastern North Dakota and/or sufficiently deep blowable snowpack to sustain whiteout conditions.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 735 AM CST Wed Jan 21 2026

Aviation impacts are forecast within the TAF period through 12Z Thursday.

Area of snow moving through the region will reduce visibility generally 2-4SM before 18Z, along with MVFR ceilings.

A cold front trails just behind this area of snow, increasing winds out of the northwest between 20-30kt, gusts to 25-35kt.

Scattered snow showers will linger behind the cold front late morning through afternoon into evening. These snow showers will continue lowered ceilings into the IFR and MVFR categories, as well as bring sharp reductions in visibility potentially as low as 1/2SM, in addition to blowing snow, at sites like KDVL, KGFK, KFAR, and KTVF. Timing when this would happen is very difficult. Will handle this potential with TEMPO groups within the 6 hr period. Chance for seeing these reduced visibilities is relatively highest between 15Z-00Z.

Snow showers with reduced visibilities between 1SM-4SM are forecast to linger after 00Z, although timing and location of these is too low in confidence to include within TAFs for now.

Another cold front moves through Thursday, bringing a resurgence in gusty winds, scattered snow showers and blowing snow bringing reduced visibility and lowered ceilings. Hazardously cold conditions also comes behind this cold front Thursday, lasting into the weekend.

FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

ND...Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM CST this evening for NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026>030-038-039-049-052>054. Cold Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to noon CST Thursday for NDZ024-027>030-038-039. Extreme Cold Watch from Thursday afternoon through Sunday morning for NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026>030-038-039-049- 052>054. Extreme Cold Warning from midnight tonight to noon CST Thursday for NDZ006>008-014>016-026-054. MN...Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM CST this evening for MNZ001>004-007-029-030-040. Cold Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to noon CST Thursday for MNZ001>003-013>017-022>024-027-028. Extreme Cold Watch from Thursday afternoon through Sunday morning for MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040. Extreme Cold Warning from midnight tonight to noon CST Thursday for MNZ004>009.