Soaking Rain and 35 mph Gusts Threaten Election Day in Fargo Region
A complex low-pressure system will deliver 2 to 3 inches of rain to southern Minnesota and the Dakotas before Tuesday's vote.
By Dominic Foster ·
Voters in the Fargo-Moorhead area will face a wet and windy backdrop on Election Day as a powerful low-pressure system moves through the region. Forecasters expect the weather to shift sharply from mild, foggy conditions on Sunday to heavy rainfall and strong gusts by Monday.
The storm system will introduce a steady, soaking rain beginning Sunday night. Showers will first arrive from the southwest and lift into Monday morning. By mid-morning on Monday, the heaviest precipitation will push inland, with the most intense rain falling south of Highway 200. Lighter showers will wrap around the system, lingering into Tuesday and potentially affecting northwest Minnesota well into Wednesday morning.
Rainfall totals are projected to reach 2 to 3 inches in central and southern areas by Tuesday night. Northern sections of the region will receive less precipitation. The rain is expected to continue through the early morning hours of Tuesday, creating difficult conditions for early voters.
Wind will compound the rain, with gusts reaching 25 to 35 mph between Monday and Tuesday. These strong winds will drag cooler air into the region, causing temperatures to drop from the 50s on Monday into the 40s on Tuesday. Monday is set to be the warmest day of the workweek, with highs near 58 degrees. By Tuesday, the high will only reach 48 degrees, and the low will fall to 44 degrees.
After the main system moves out, the weather will stabilize. The remainder of the week will feature partly to mostly cloudy skies with dry conditions. Temperatures will remain cool, with lows in the 30s and highs in the 40s. By the weekend, some areas may see temperatures climb back into the 50s.
The forecast for Sunday night calls for cloudy skies and overnight rain, with a low of 54 degrees. Monday will bring rain and likely wind, with a high of 58 degrees. Tuesday, Election Day, will feature scattered showers and wind, with a high of 48 degrees. Wednesday will be mostly cloudy with a few morning showers and a high of 51 degrees. The week will end with mostly cloudy skies and highs in the upper 40s and low 50s.
