North Dakota–Minnesota – A dim gray light spreads across the Red River Valley this morning, where Grand Forks and East Grand Forks wake to 24°F and a steady northwest wind slicing through the air. The chill feels familiar — the kind that whispers winter is here to stay — even as roads remain dry and skies mostly calm for now.
For Thanksgiving travelers, conditions look ideal through Thursday. The National Weather Service in Grand Forks calls for partly sunny skies and highs near 25°F on Thanksgiving Day, with calm winds — perfect for travel along I-29 and Highway 2. It’s a rare pause of stability before a small system slides in from the northwest.
By Friday night, clouds will thicken again, and a 20% chance of light snow develops — the kind that might dust fields and windshields by dawn Saturday. Accumulations, if any, should stay light, but temperatures will struggle to climb above 21°F, ensuring any moisture freezes quickly. Drivers should watch for slick bridges and shaded stretches, especially early Saturday.
Through the weekend, highs remain in the upper teens to low 20s, with lows dipping to the single digits. Sunday turns mostly sunny but bitterly cold — the kind of still air that carries frost in every breath.
Looking ahead, long-range models hint at a larger Arctic push between December 1–5, with the potential for heavier snow across the northern plains. While no major storm is confirmed yet, early signals suggest below-normal temperatures could grip much of North Dakota and northern Minnesota heading into early December.
For now, holiday travelers can breathe easy, but by the weekend, the first taste of December’s winter mood begins to settle in.
