Snow could be on the way

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Dec. 17, 1999

By Devlyn Brooks

Break out the skis. Rev up the snowmobiles.

The National Weather Service is forecasting northern Minnesota's first major snow storm will hit Sunday, according to Meteorologist Jim Belles, adding Friday and Saturday look as though they will be tame compared to late in the weekend.

Belles said it should be cloudy today with a chance for snow flurries and winds from 5 to 15 mph. Today's high temperatures should be between 5 to 10 degrees.

Temperatures are expected to rise Saturday, maybe even reaching 30 degrees, Belles said, but they are expected to plummet again Sunday.

There is also a good chance that enough snow will fall to begin accumulating, and the wind should increase.

Belles suggested anyone traveling west should be aware of the conditions on U.S. Highway 2, where the trees give way to the prairie. Conditions could be extreme.

"This system is very dynamic, and there is a very good chance for cold temperatures and some wind," he said.

Early next week, the storm may continue Monday, but Tuesday and Wednesday are forecasted to be dry.