Winter blast on the way

Old Man Winter delayed his first appearance this year, but he may just make a grand entrance after all.

Early October saw record-high temperatures, but on Monday the National Weather Service in Grand Forks not only declared the first winter storm watch of the season but also upgraded a wind advisory to a high-wind warning, which goes into effect today.

The high-wind warning will go into effect at 1 p.m. and last through 1 a.m. Wednesday morning, said Peter Rogers, meteorologist with the weather service.

"We're looking at 35- to 45-mph winds with gusts up to 60 mph," Rogers said.

A winter storm watch has been issued for much of the Red River Valley area, including Fargo-Moorhead; it will last from 1 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday.

"The winds will continue to be very strong, meaning it could be very difficult travel conditions," Rogers said.

The storm could blanket Fargo-Moorhead with about 2 inches of snow. The F-M area will be less affected than places farther north and west. Rogers said Grand Forks and Valley City may see closer to 4 inches of snow.