Hazardous Wind Chills Descend on North Dakota adn Minnesota

GRAND FORKS – Dangerously cold wind chills, potentially reaching minus-40 degrees, are forecast for eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a release Friday morning stating that hazardous wind chills will spread across the region beginning Friday, Dec. 12, and lasting through sunday morning.

Sustained winds of 20 to 25 mph will gust up to 40 mph. The NWS warns that an arctic air mass combined with breezy northwest winds will bring dangerously cold wind chills through Sunday. Wind chills Saturday and Sunday mornings could fall as low as minus-40F.

There is a 20% chance of widespread extreme cold warning criteria being met. While temperatures and wind chills will likely rise Saturday afternoon, the NWS notes that recovery will be brief due to persistent winds.

As of 6 p.m. Friday, the NWS predicted wind chills of minus-32 in Bemidji, minus-37 in Thief River Falls, minus-33 in Devils Lake, minus-35 in Grand forks, minus-28 in Fargo, and minus-41 in Langdon.

The outlook for noon Saturday remains largely the same, with wind chills potentially a few degrees warmer but still bitterly cold. By noon Sunday, wind chills will generally be between minus-27 and minus-17 throughout the region.

Little to no snowfall is expected.