Video (7 min):
Good Friday morning! A winter storm watch has been issued from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday morning for the western 2/3rds of North Dakota, and northwest South Dakota. Significant snow amounts are looking likely here.
In the short-term, we have a pulse of light snowfall impacting east-central portions of North Dakota this morning. Radar at 8am CT shown below:
The area of snow showers will continue to drift north through the day and gradually weaken.
Portions of central North Dakota may see 1-2″ of snow this morning:
The western Dakotas may see some patchy fog tomorrow morning. Overall Saturday is a mainly dry day, outside of some snow showers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Clouds will build in late in the day with areas of drizzle possible Saturday evening through Sunday from the eastern Dakotas through central Minnesota. Some of this may be freezing drizzle depending on surface temperatures.
Our major winter storm rolls in Sunday afternoon, and ramps up in a big way Sunday night through Tuesday morning. That is when the heaviest snows are expected. The central and western portions of North Dakota see mainly snow, and the slow movement of the band will lead to excessive snow totals. Rain will mix in initially across the eastern Dakotas, and especially across central/southern Minnesota.
Posted below is the European and GFS snowfall output. Central and western North Dakota look to receive the heaviest snow, where 10-20″ appears possible. As you head south through the Dakotas, the snow amounts should be a bit lower, but a band of significant snow looks to set-up across portions of South Dakota as well. Minnesota will receive the lowest snow amounts due to rain mixing in Sunday through Monday before you transition to snow….by time the transition happens here the snow will be much lighter. There could still be decent totals over northern Minnesota, but the Dakotas are the snow jackpot!
Total precipitation will be 1-2″ in portions of North Dakota.
Winds will be another story with this storm…which means in many cases this should reach blizzard criteria. The strongest winds are forecast to be over South Dakota, where 45-55mph gusts are forecast:
