F-M area under 3 inches of new snow; more expected Friday

FARGO - A layer of fresh snow covered the Red River Valley this morning, and more is on the way Friday, the National Weather Service said.

Fargo-Moorhead and Grand Forks both received about 3 inches of snowfall through 7 a.m. today, said Dan Riddle, meteorologist at the weather service in Grand Forks.

Four inches of new snow was reported in Havana, while Oakes and LaMoure received 6 inches unofficially. The snowfall started later and was lighter in Minnesota lakes country, with Pelican Rapids reporting 1 inch, Riddle said.

Northwest Minnesota will see another 1 to 2 inches of snow today as the storm slowly moves off to the east, Riddle said. Additional snowfall in the F-M area is expected to amount to less than an inch.

The snow slickened roads, leading to a number of accidents in the F-M area, including a reported crash involving a semi and car at Interstate 94 and 25th Street South in Fargo.

Another band of snow is expected to press into eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota Friday afternoon and evening, though its exact track remains uncertain, Riddle said.

Current models show heavier snow amounts of 2 to 4 inches possible in the northern valley and 1 to 2 inches possible in the southern valley, Riddle said. Freezing rain may accompany the snow, as daytime temperatures will reach 32 to 34 degrees before turning colder when winds shift from southeast to northwest and become stronger, with gusts of 30 to 40 mph possible late Friday, he said.

"Even though we may not get a lot of snow again, it could pose some travel issues Friday night," he said.

The forecast calls for a slight warm-up early next week, with highs near 35 on Monday and 37 on Tuesday.