Grand Forks, ND – A large portion of northwest and north-central Minnesota and eastern North Dakota remains under Extreme Cold Warnings and Cold Weather Advisories as dangerously low wind chills continue through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Grand Forks.
Across the wider advisory region—including Norman, Clay, Lake of the Woods, Becker, Otter Tail, Wadena, Grant, and surrounding Minnesota counties, as well as Benson, Eddy, Griggs, Steele, Traill, Barnes, Cass, Ransom, Sargent, and Richland counties in North Dakota—wind chills may fall to 39 below through noon Sunday.
In areas still under the Extreme Cold Warning—including West Polk County in Minnesota, and Grand Forks and Nelson counties in North Dakota—wind chills may plunge to 40 below through noon Saturday, before easing marginally into the advisory range of 37 below through Sunday.
A second warning area covering Kittson, Roseau, Marshall, Beltrami, Pennington, Red Lake, Clearwater, Hubbard and nearby counties continues to face the harshest impacts, with wind chills as low as 45 below expected overnight. Cities such as Bemidji, Thief River Falls, Devils Lake, Hallock, Grafton, and Roseau are among the hardest hit.
NWS officials warn that wind chills of 40–45 below zero can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes, posing severe risks for anyone outdoors for prolonged periods. Residents are urged to dress in layers, cover hands and faces, and limit travel where possible.
The dangerous cold is expected to persist until at least noon Sunday, when temperatures begin a slow, modest rebound.
