High winds, blowing dust to pound Tri-Cities region. Visibility could be near zero

Strong winds and blowing dust are forecast to close out the Tri-Cities weekend.

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind watch from 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday for most of the Mid-Columbia and areas northeast.

Gusts of up to 49 mph are forecast in the Tri-Cities Sunday evening, with stronger blasts possible in some rural areas. Gusts up to 60 mph are forecast in Eastern Washington and Oregon.

The wind will be strong enough to blow down trees and power lines in parts of the region, according to the weather service.

In the Tri-Cities sustained wind speeds of 22 to 32 mph are forecast Sunday afternoon, increasing to 31 to 36 mph after dark.

Blowing dust could reduce visibility to near zero in some parts of Eastern Washington after 3 p.m. Sunday, the weather service said.

Roads that could be affected include Highway 395 from Connell to Ritzville.

Other areas where travelers could see blowing dust include Interstate 90 from George to Ritzville; Interstate 82 from Yakima to Ellensburg; and Highway 195 from Spokane to Pullman.

The weather service had initially forecast possible rain and snow at higher elevations in the Mid-Columbia to follow the wind, but now expects no precipitation.

But the cold front forecast to move through the Mid-Columbia will drop temperatures for the start of the workweek.

On Sunday a high of 69 is forecast for the Tri-Cities, but that will drop to 58 on Monday and 60 on Tuesday.

Temperatures could drop to freezing Monday night in the Tri-Cities and below freezing in parts of Franklin and Benton counties, according to the weather service.

By Thursday warm and mostly sunny weather is back in the forecast. The high that day in the Tri-Cities could be 73.

This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 4:54 PM.