National Weather Service Grand Forks Office Does More Than Forecasts

(KNOX)–The National Weather Service Office in Grand Forks does a lot more than just forecasts for the public.

“We work with our fire weather partners, so anytime a prescribed burn is occurring on public lands, they ask us for an hour-by-hour forecast, talking about relative humidity and wind. They know how the fire is going to behave,” Jim Kaiser of the National Weather Service, Grand Forks Office told KNOX News.

Kaiser said that the Grand Forks bureau is staffed all year around the clock.

“The National Weather Service here in Grand Forks is open 24/7, 365. We’re the ones responsible for life and property,” Kaiser said. “They’re working Christmas Day, Easter, Fourth of July to make sure every U.S. citizen has notification if and when severe weather is going to strike.”

The Grand Forks Office of the National Weather Service also issues forecasts that the general public needs.

“Protection of life and property. We are the ones that issue the tornado warnings, the thunderstorm warnings, the flood warnings, blizzard warnings, winter storm warnings,” Kaiser said.

The National Weather Service Grand Forks Office serves about 40,000 square miles in eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota.