textproduct: Grand Forks

KEY MESSAGES

- Blizzard conditions are ongoing across eastern North Dakota and portions of northwest Minnesota. Widespread blowing snow and very cold wind chills will make travel dangerous and potentially life-threatening for those stranded.

- Arctic air late in the week will bring cold weather impacts to the region.

UPDATE

Issued at 614 PM CST Sun Jan 18 2026

Let a large chunk of the current headlines go at 6pm as webcams and area obs support widespread mile or greater visibility with things trending in the right direction for the that become the norm in the areas over the next 3 hours. As for the Red River valley and parts of northwest/west central Minnesota lingering HCRs combined with sustained winds around 30mph and gusts nearing 50 mph still are leading to maybe not as widespread of blizzard conditions as they were 6 hours ago but still poor enough to keep those headlines in place. Went ahead and extended the warning to midnight to account for uncertainty in when HCRs might end but expect it to go no later than that.

..Late Week Cold

A chunk of arctic air dives south late week, bringing cold temperatures, with highs well below zero both Friday and Saturday, potentially lasting into Sunday as well. Probabilities for wind chills of -40F or lower are already greater then 60% over much of the FA.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/

Issued at 614 PM CST Sun Jan 18 2026

For Fargo and Grand Forks expect blizzard conditions to be in and out over the next 6 hours with IFR to MVFR becoming VFr by midnight. For all other sites any remaining MVFR will improve to VFR by midnight with gusts dropping quickly in the next 6 hours likely around 03Z. Tomorrow some low clouds might bring us back to MVFR in the late morning/afternoon but other than that much better conditions than the last 3 days.

FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

ND...Blizzard Warning until midnight CST tonight for NDZ008-016-027- 030-039-053. Cold Weather Advisory until noon CST Monday for NDZ006>008- 014>016-024-026>030-038-039-049-052>054. MN...Blizzard Warning until midnight CST tonight for MNZ001>004-007- 022-027-029-030-040. Cold Weather Advisory until noon CST Monday for MNZ001>009- 013>017-022>024-027>032-040.