Prairie Public NewsRoom
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Significant snowfall expected in ND tomorrow

National Weather Service, Bismarck

Much of the state is under a blizzard or winter storm warning.

Much of North Dakota is under a blizzard warning or winter storm warning as the region’s first significant snow event arrives later tonight.

John Paul Martin is a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Bismarck.

"Basically, it's a mess - or going to be, across the whole state of North Dakota on Thursday."

Martin says precipitation is already falling across the state in the form of freezing drizzle, making travel a little hazardous. He says the rain will switch over to snow around midnight tonight, and result in significant accumulations.

"The heaviest snow will be from the Bismarck-Mandan area into the Jamestown area and up to the Grand Forks region, where amounts will be anywhere from twelve to sixteen inches of snow possible in that area. Outside of there, lesser amounts out toward the Montana border - anywhere from maybe four or five inches up in the northwest corner of the state, up to nine or ten inches along the Montana border and Williston along toward Dickinson."

Martin is calling the system a “full blown blizzard” that will contain strong winds, significantly reduced visibility and large amounts of snow. He says the system should end around midnight Friday morning.