Bemidji schools start late, difficult travel expected all day

BEMIDJI - School here will start two hours late due to severe winter weather.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning in northwestern Minnesota, including the Bemidji area, for Sunday night and today.

This morning the weather service said 4-8 inches of snow was expected across much of the region by tonight, with higher amounts of 6-10 inches likely across portions of northwest Minnesota, the weather service said.

Driving is expected to be difficult as reduced visibilities and near-blizzard conditions creating travel problems.

"In the forested areas of Minnesota, genuine blizzards are pretty rare as our trees keep us pretty sheltered from the wind," the Beltrami County Emergency Management office stated on its Facebook page late Sunday. "We have a decent chance of being affected by textbook blizzard conditions on Monday. Whether we get bumped into the novelty blizzard warning or not, it will almost certainly be difficult to traveling the overnight and tomorrow due to blowing and drifting snow."

Here's the weather service's forecast for the week:

Today: Snow. High near 27. Blustery, with a west wind 9 to 14 mph becoming west northwest 17 to 22 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.Tonight there is a20 percent chance of snow before 1a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low about minus-3. Wind chill values as low as minus-20. Blustery, with a west northwest wind 14 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 15. Northwest wind 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 15.

Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 22.

Friday Partly sunny, with a high near 27.

Saturday Partly sunny, with a high near 32.