Weather alert: Wind gusts to blast Tri-Cities. Then comes the cold

Better make sure your outside Christmas decorations are tightly secured.

Wind gusts of up to 45 mph are forecast for Monday night in the Tri-Cities.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory from 1 p.m. Monday until 4 a.m. Tuesday for most of Eastern Washington.

Southwest winds are expected to increase from 5 to 10 mph late Monday morning to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon, with gusts up to 29 mph.

Rain is possible in the evening.

The worst of the wind is expected overnight Monday with sustained speeds of 26 to 30 mph and stronger gusts.

Tuesday should also be breezy with winds of 10 to 13 mph and gusts of up to 18 mph.

By Tuesday night the air should be still again, with patchy freezing fog forecast from 10 pm. Tuesday until 10 a.m. Wednesday making roads slick.

Temperatures are expected to drop from a high of 52 forecast for Tuesday to highs in the 30s for the rest of the week and the weekend.

This story was originally published December 21, 2020 at 10:37 AM.