FARGO — The Fargo-Moorhead area is in store for hazardous, even life-threatening weather conditions early this weekend into early next week.
John Wheeler, chief meteorologist at WDAY-TV, said those conditions include high winds, snow showers and icy roads, followed by temperatures around 20 degrees below zero.
“This will be noticeably colder than anything we’ve had this winter,” he said.
The change begins Friday morning, Jan. 17, with strong winds and mild temperatures at first, in the low 30s above zero.
Sustained winds of 20 to 30 miles an hour, gusting to 40 miles an hour throughout Friday, will blow warm, wet snow over roads where it will freeze, he said.
“I think the danger will be the combination of slick roads and high winds that make it hard to control a vehicle,” he said.
Even though not much new snow is expected and existing snow is mostly crusted over, there will be areas of reduced visibility, Wheeler said.
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for southeast North Dakota and northwest and west central Minnesota, in effect from 9 a.m. through 9 p.m. on Friday.
The advisory calls for up to an inch of snow whipped around by winds gusting as high as 55 miles per hour and slippery roads.
Winds could be strong enough to cause extensive damage to trees and power lines, the weather service said.
Wheeler said temperatures will keep falling Saturday until reaching the coldest weather on Sunday night and into Monday.
Expect lows of around 20 degrees below zero at least one if not two nights, with daytime highs around 10 below, he said.
James and Liz Pegler from Western Australia walk down Broadway on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Fargo. The duo are visiting Fargo for a wedding and had to go buy bigger coats for the cold temperatures here since the temperature back in their home town is currently about 90 degrees. It will feel much colder over the weekend, as well, as temperatures are expected to drop below zero Sunday and into early next week.
Wheeler emphasized this weather is not unusual, but may seem so due to a lack of really cold weather last winter.
Xcel Energy is offering tips for safety and energy savings through the cold snap.
It said customers should keep natural gas meters clear by gently removing accumulated snow or ice by hand. Indoors, use space heaters carefully, turning them off when leaving a room and when going to sleep.
Put together a home emergency kit in the event of a power outage, with items such as a battery-powered radio or television, flashlights, batteries, backup phone chargers, a first aid kit, bottled water and nonperishable food.
Xcel also offers these tips for reducing a heating bill:
- Lower thermostat to between 65 and 70 degrees while home and 58 degrees when away
- Open drapes and blinds to maximize heat from direct sunlight during the day, and close them to retain heat when it is dark
- Run ceiling fans clockwise to push warm air down from the ceiling
