In the end, the blizzard went elsewhere.
The National Weather Service canceled a winter weather warning late Saturday, but quickly replaced it with a wind chill warning. It had feared something worse - blizzard conditions.
"The snow dropped off a little quicker than we were thinking," said NWS meteorologist Geoffrey Grochocinski Sunday morning as he was coming off his second graveyard shift in a row at the Grand Forks office.
"And we probably didn't get enough wind to kick up the snow," he added. Predicted snowfall totals of anywhere from four to 12 inches turned out to be three to six inches in central Minnesota, he said.
"The system just didn't have enough moisture to squeeze out," he said.
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County and state highways throughout Hubbard County had been cleared by late Saturday, but still have some snow pack on them, and drivers were urged to be cautious. Law enforcement agencies did respond to several reports of vehicles in ditches Saturday night and Sunday morning. Some township roads had not been plowed by Sunday morning.
"This is only my second winter here, so I don't know if people get disappointed when a blizzard is called off," Grochocinski said. "But they say if you've never been wrong, you're not a forecaster."
Authorities and the NWS were nevertheless urging motorists to use caution when traveling. The wind chill warning will persist throughout Sunday morning across the region, with wind chills of 35 to 45 below. Northwest winds will increase through the day and gust up to 35 mph, causing areas of blowing and drifting snow and hazardous travel.
The system has been moving southeast and will continue to move out of the region later today.
