FARGO — Forecasters continue to watch developing conditions that could result in heavy snow and high winds on Saturday, Nov. 30 — but WDAY Chief Meteorologist John Wheeler cautions that it’s still too early to make firm predictions for the weather Friday through Sunday.
It appears the Thanksgiving holiday here likely will be tranquil for most of the day, but snow is possible beginning in the afternoon and could continue through Friday and Saturday.
For those who are flying for the holiday, stormy weather on Tuesday night and Wednesday could cause delays for those who have flight connections in Sioux Falls, S.D., the Twin Cities or Chicago. Those likely delays, in turn, could cause possible delays in airports elsewhere, including those in Fargo, Grand Forks, Dallas and Denver.
Expect airport delays and cancellations to continue tonight through Wednesday.
Highest impact for Minneapolis will be this evening through Wednesday morning. #MNwx #NDwx #SDwx #WDAYwx pic.twitter.com/lgkYUK2829
Travelers also should be aware that weather conditions could intensify Saturday, with heavy snow and high winds possible, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
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The weather service forecast gives a 70% chance of snow Thursday night and Friday, with winds picking up over time.
There could be areas of light precipitation on Friday, but uncertainty over temperatures makes it hard to predict whether it will fall as light rain, freezing rain or snow, Wheeler said.
“We’re not going to be buried” on Friday, he said.
The greatest chance for a snowstorm will be Saturday, with the weather service predicting that snow could be heavy at times, with high winds possible.
A travel outlook posted Tuesday warns that widespread weather impacts and blizzard conditions in the area are possible Saturday into Sunday.
“It certainly could be a bad storm,” Wheeler said. But, he added, “There’s still room for it not to be.”
Although conditions could produce heavy moisture, the developing system also could contain a “dry slot,” where little or no precipitation falls, he said. It’s still too early to predict precipitation amounts, temperature and wind speeds here for the weekend — critical variables in how the weather will play out, Wheeler said.
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As of now, forecasters can flag the potential for severe weather, but forecast details can’t be made accurately until a possible storm is two days away, he said.
The upshot for those planning to travel after Thanksgiving: “Stay tuned,” Wheeler said.
