Snow you say? Flurries and cold rain in the Tri-Cities forecast

We’re getting closer to the first day of winter and it could look more like it this weekend.

Expect surrounding hillsides like Badger Mountain and Candy Mountain to be topped with snow over the next few days as overnight lows remain in the high 20s, according to the National Weather Service.

And by Saturday night there is a 40 percent chance the snow level will creep down the hillside to 500 feet and hit the floor of the Mid-Columbia by Sunday. Then a cold rain will follow.

While highs in the 40s that are continuing through the middle of next week will stave off daytime bitter cold, it may be gloomy and the sun will remain largely in hiding. Clouds will blanket the skies, and drivers should be alert to patchy fog that will come and go throughout next week.

If you planning to travel over Snoqualmie Pass to do some Christmas shopping in Seattle, there is 30 percent to 40 percent chance of snow at the end of this week. The storm will bring 1 to 3 new inches of snow on Friday and 1 to 3 inches may also accumulate on Saturday.

For the Sunday return trip to Tri-Cities, expect freezing rain mixed with snow until early afternoon. The rain and snow will transform to all flakes by 7 p.m. that night.

This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 12:38 PM.