Get out your boots. Snow is forecast for the Tri-Cities

One to two inches of snow could turn the Tri-Cities white on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

It forecasts a 50 percent chance of snow, mostly after 10 a.m.

The forecast raises the possibility of the first significant forecast of the winter, which has so far seen mostly occasional snow flurries.

The forecast released Monday afternoon updated a forecast earlier in that day that predicted possible freezing rain Tuesday morning, followed by rain in the afternoon.

Rain is still in the forecast, but not until Tuesday night. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is forecast.

Rain could continue into Wednesday, but the rest of the week should be dry and relatively warm for January in the Tri-Cities.

The temperature could reach 50 on Thursday, with highs in the mid 40s forecast from Friday through at least the weekend.

Travelers to Western Washington will need to be prepared for a winter storm, according to the weather service. It has issued a winter weather advisory from Tuesday morning through noon Wednesday for the east slopes of the Cascade Mountains.

Possible ice accumulations of around a tenth of an inch are possible in places.

In the Yakima Valley, travelers can expect two to four inches of snow.

At Snoqualmie Pass on Interstate 90, the chance of snow Tuesday is 100 percent, according to the weather service.

In addition to two to four inches of fresh snow on Tuesday, more snow is expected to fall there Tuesday night, possibly mixed with freezing rain.

Total snow accumulation Tuesday through Wednesday could be up to eight inches at the pass.

Travel conditions should be better for the rest of the week as temperatures warm. Precipitation should fall as rain Wednesday night through Thursday night and again on Sunday, according to early predictions.

People heading to Portland could have a tough time in the Columbia River Gorge on Tuesday. Freezing rain is possible Tuesday morning and night.

Travelers heading east from the Tri-Cities on Interstate 84 over the Blue Mountains also can expect snow.

A 70 percent chance of snow with one to two inches accumulating is forecast for Tuesday at Meacham, Ore., between Pendleton and La Grande.

This story was originally published January 7, 2019 at 6:04 PM.