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Travel may become impossible in much of North Dakota from late Thursday through Friday due to heavy snow and fierce winds. Northwestern Minnesota will see rain initially, which will change to a rain/snow mix and then all snow later Thursday. Travel may be difficult in parts of northwestern Minnesota Thursday night, Friday and Saturday.

This winter storm will affect the Upper Midwest right into the weekend.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential precipitation pattern Thursday afternoon through Saturday:

Here’s the National Weather Service breakdown of snow totals, starting with Thursday through the overnight hours of Thursday night:

The highest snow totals through Thursday night are in the eastern half of North Dakota, with lower  totals near the Red River. 

From Friday morning into Saturday morning, eastern North Dakota sees additional heavy snow and   portions of far northwestern Minnesota could see some 6 to 12+ inch snow totals:

The NWS has issued winter storm warnings for North Dakota and for Minnesota counties along the Red River:

The Winter Storm warning for Kittson county down through Wilkin county in Minnesota starts at 7 p.m. this Thursday and runs to 1 p.m. Saturday. The blue-shaded counties from Roseau down to Fergus Falls are in a winter storm watch from 1 a.m Friday through 1 p.m. Saturday.

Updates and details on warnings and watches can be found on the NWS 

The Twin Cities metro area will see showers at times this Thursday and Thursday night, with a thunderstorm also possible. We’ll have a chance of rain/snow showers on Friday and a good chance of some snow showers at times on Saturday, with little or no accumulation.

Updated weather information can be heard on the MPR 

, and you’ll also see updated weather info on the MPR News 

Thursday afternoon highs will range from the 30s in far northwestern Minnesota to the 60s in the Twin Cities metro area, southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Get ready for some chilly temps on Friday, with highs mainly in the 30s and 40s, except in the northeast:

Saturday highs will be mainly in the 30s:

Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to reach about 40 degrees on Sunday, followed by mid-40s Monday, upper 40s Tuesday and Wednesday and 50s next Thursday and Friday.

 from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources shows fall colors past peak in parts of northern Minnesota, with areas of good fall color in many locations:

Keep in mind that the fall color report includes all deciduous trees, not just maples. A 

I imagine that the wind, rain and snow will take down a lot of leaves over the next few days.

You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays and at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Ron Trenda

Author

Travel may become impossible in much of North Dakota from late Thursday through Friday night due to heavy snow and fierce winds. Northwestern Minnesota will see rain initially, which will change to a rain-snow mix and then all snow later Thursday, and continue as all snow Thursday night and Friday.  Winter storm warnings start at 7 p.m. Thursday in part of far northwestern Minnesota.

People clear the sidewalk after a fall snowstorm in Montana.

Winter storm warning for MN counties along the Red River; Friday flake chance for the metro

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