Winter Storm Warning Targets Beltrami County With Snow, Hazardous Travel

North and South Beltrami counties faced up to 12 inches of snow and wind gusts reaching 35 mph after the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning running from 4 p.m. Friday through 1 a.m. Sunday, with Lake of the Woods and North Clearwater counties also covered by the alert.

The warning was the second phase of a two-round spring storm. An initial winter weather advisory deposited 1 to 4 inches of snow through Thursday night; the follow-up system escalated to warning level, with blowing and drifting snow forecast to make rural highways and secondary roads across the county hazardous or impassable.

Beltrami County Emergency Management, which labeled the event the "April Fool's Storm" on its public channels, is the primary source for road closure updates and operational changes during the warning period. The office is reachable at (218) 333-8386. MnDOT road conditions for the area are available by calling 511.

Communities including Bemidji, Red Lake, and Bagley fell within the warning footprint. Icing on road surfaces, reduced visibility, and mixed precipitation threatened school transportation, spring fieldwork, and commuter routes across the county's rural highway network.

Residents were encouraged to delay non-essential travel for the duration of the warning and to secure outdoor items against wind and ice damage. The National Weather Service advised monitoring updated forecasts for shifting snowfall totals and timing through Saturday night.