GRAND FORKS — As one snowstorm moved out of the Red River Valley, another took its place.
On Sunday, January 18, a day after the snowstorm moved out of the area, the National Weather Service issued another blizzard warning for parts of 17 eastern North Dakota counties and 12 additional counties in northwestern Minnesota. In addition, the area is under a cold weather advisory until noon Monday, January 19th.
A travel ban advisory has been issued for the entire region. Interstate 29 was open early in the morning, but then closed from Grand Forks to the Canadian border. A report sent late Sunday morning from Walsh County, northwest of Grand Forks, said winds were blowing snow onto roads, creating some travel difficulties.
Many highways in northwestern Minnesota were also closed, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
“If a road is closed, it is illegal to drive through the area,” the Ministry of Defense said in a release sent to the media. “Motorists may be subject to fines of up to $1,000 and/or 90 days in jail. Additionally, other costs and fines may apply if a traveler must be rescued from a closed road.”
At times on Sunday, visibility was near zero in rural areas near Grand Forks. Similar things were happening in several places in the city.
“Whiteout conditions are expected, making travel hazardous and potentially life-threatening,” the National Weather Service said in a bulletin before the storm. “You should consider postponing all travel. If travel is absolutely necessary, motorists should use extreme caution.”
The Herald dubbed the storm “Blizzard Danny” in honor of former UND football standout and assistant coach Danny Freund, who was hired last week to rejoin the program as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Herald has been naming snowstorms since 1990, naming storms alphabetically by male and female names to honor local residents and to record storms for history. The Herald typically uses the names of people appearing in the news, celebrities, or people connected to the Herald.
Blizzard Danny will be the fourth blizzard in the Grand Forks area this season, joining Blizzard Alice (December 18), Blizzard Blood (December 28) and Blizzard Cathy (January 16).
The record is eight times in the winter of 1996-97 and the winter of 2021-22.
Blizzard Cathy arrived Friday afternoon and evening and affected travel across the Red River Valley until noon Saturday, but the high winds finally subsided, the sun came out, and the day was frigid, but mostly calm, with temperatures below freezing.
And then Danny from Blizzard arrived with more of the same. WDAY meteorologist Stephen Sundin called it “rinse and repeat.”
On Saturday’s broadcast, Sundin said he expected “a situation very similar to the situation (Friday) to continue throughout the day (Sunday) and then calm down into Monday for a more calm day.”
The blizzard warning covered a wide area, including Langdon, Devils Lake, Grand Forks, Lisbon, Fargo, Fergus Falls, Detroit Lakes, Thief River Falls and the towns of Roseau.
Sandin’s forecast calls for 0.5 to 2 inches of snow to fall in Valley City, Fargo, Fergus Falls and Detroit Lakes, while northern areas such as Grand Forks, Thief River Falls, Hallock and Warroad could see 1 to 3 inches, and possibly as much as 4 inches.
Wind chills could drop into the -30s Monday, according to WDAY’s forecast.
In anticipation of the storm, UND announced Saturday evening that its main campus would close starting at 10 p.m. Saturday and reopen at 8 a.m. Monday. The statement said the reason for this is “deteriorating winter weather and predicted snowstorm conditions could make travel to the region hazardous.”
The closures also include the UND Wellness Center, Chester Fritz Library and Memorial Union, according to the announcement. Wilkerson Dining Center will remain open for students during the closure period. There will be no classes and most UND offices will be closed on Monday, Jan. 19 in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, according to the announcement.
In addition, essential UND personnel must report to work as scheduled. If your trip is unsafe, you will be asked to notify your supervisor. Unless you are an essential employee, please do not come to work during the closure.
