UPDATED: BHS cancels wrestling meet after forecast calls for wintery weather

BEMIDJI – The melt is on here as temperatures jumped into the mid 40s today, but the forecast calls for a brutal change.

The National Weather Service in Grand Forks, N.D., issued a freezing rain advisory through noon Friday, followed by a winter storm watch that extends into Saturdya.

The anticipated bad weather prompted Bemidji High School to announce that Thursday night's dual wrestling meet with Hibbing had been canceled.

The meet was slated to start at 6 p.m. in Bemidji.

The weather service said a major winter storm will move into the region late Thursday and remain through Saturday.

One weather system will move from the southern Plains into the Upper Midwest, bringing freezing rain into west central and northwest Minnesota through Friday.

The weather service said some ice accumulation is possible, with up to two-tenths of an inch in Bemidji.

Also, a large system also will be moving into the region from the west, bring snow to the area starting Friday.

Snow is expected through Saturday morning.

Accumulations are expected to be highest along a line from Cooperstown, N.D., through Grand Forks and to Roseau, where up to 9 inches and blizzard-like conditions are possible.

The weather service said now accumulations between Fargo, N.D., and Park Rapids are possible in the 4 to 6 inch range.

Winds will increase as the storm lingers. Sustained winds of 20 to 25 mph are expected as gusts will be stronger.

Residents should expect snow, sleet and ice to impact travel.

The weather service’s forecast for Bemidji includes:

Today

Increasing clouds, with a high near 42. Breezy, with a south wind 17 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph.

Tonight

Rain or freezing rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 31. South southeast wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New ice accumulation of a tenth to three-tenths of an inch possible.

Friday

Snow and freezing rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 32. Light and variable wind becoming east 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New ice accumulation of tenth to three-tenths of an inch possible. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Friday night

Snow. Low around 9. East northeast wind 8 to 16 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.

Saturday

A 50 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 10. West northwest wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

Saturday night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around -13.

Sunday

Partly sunny, with a high near 4.

Sunday night

Partly cloudy, with a low around -11.

Monday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 5.