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Frigid wind chills, light snow to continue throughout the week in North Dakota, Minnesota

As an arctic cold front moves in, residents can expect wind chills into the 20s or 30s below zero through the weekend.

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Emergency responders turn out for a vehicle crash at the corner of 10th Avenue and Cottonwood Street in Grand Forks on Sunday, Dec. 8. Kimberly Wynn / Grand Forks Herald

Frigid temperatures settled into Grand Forks on Monday, Dec. 9, as city residents dug out from nearly 6 fresh inches of snow. In East Grand Forks, a snow emergency was declared: Parking is not permitted on city streets, and the emergency will remain in effect until all streets have been cleared.

East Grand Forks Department of Public Works Director Jason Stordahl said, despite the emergency, street conditions Monday morning were good and snow clearing was progressing as normal.

"There are areas that are a little bit slippery, with the snow cover and the snow packed on, but, for the most part, all the streets are opened up, the main thoroughfares, the arterials are all open right now. Most of the side streets, alleys, we're still working on a few, but conditions are pretty good here in East Grand Forks."

In addition to the snow, greater Grand Forks residents woke up Monday morning to wind chill temperatures well into the range of 20 below zero. The frigid wind chill temperatures are expected to continue throughout the week, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Forks.

Grand Forks Police Lt. Derik Zimmel said police responded to a spike in motor vehicle accidents since the start of the storm, with 17 reported within Grand Forks between 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 and Monday morning. He added that no fatalities have been reported.

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"Part of the problem is people see that the roadway has been cleared, so they think they can drive the speed limit," Zimmel said. "The problem with that is all of that snow and ice has been compacted into the roadway, and the roadway gets very, very slick. You don't have normal stopping distance at normal speeds."

He said accidents often occur at stop signs and other intersections in these weather conditions.

"As people come up, they approach intersections and realize a little bit too late that they're not going to be able to stop for that stop sign," Zimmel said. "They are preventable, if people take appropriate precautions, slow down, anticipating situations ahead of time."

Across the river, East Grand Forks Police Chief Michael Hedlund said police responded to a number of storm-related calls, including a minor accident just before noon, vehicle stuck in a ditch, a semi with frozen brakes and a driver attempting to put air in her tires.

"There were a good number of parking tickets just related to snow removal during the middle of the night, but that's normal," Hedlund said.

Wind chills are expected to drop into range of 20 or 30 below zero on Tuesday, Dec. 10, with the coldest hours early in the morning. Snow will be possible later in the week.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation has issued a travel alert for eastern North Dakota. Travelers should exercise caution and plan accordingly.

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