Spring-like temps are warming Tri-Cities but the weekend will be a different story

It’s not going to feel much like November most of this week in the Tri-Cities area, with the National Weather Service forecasting temperatures warm enough to possibly break records.

On Sunday the high temperature record at the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco was tied at 65 degrees.

The high temperature is again forecast to reach 65 on Wednesday as the Tri-Cities sits beneath a large high pressure area.

On Tuesday night the low is forecast to be about 51, which is warmer than the normal high temperatures for the end of November.

Other days until Friday, highs should be in the upper 50s, before highs drop to the 40s Friday through the weekend.

Lows should be down to just above freezing by Saturday night.

Normal highs for late November in the Tri-Cities area are about 43 and normal lows are about 30.

No more rain is expected through the weekend, with partly sunny skies forecast most days.

The rain this month has made a dent in improving drought conditions across Southeast Washington.

At the Hanford Meteorology Station north of the Tri-Cities 1.75 inches of rain had been recorded for the month through Sunday, which is close to double the normal. Normal rainfall for November there is 0.95 inch.

Franklin County, which was rated as being in “exceptional drought” has improved to “extreme drought,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Its latest report used data only through Nov. 23.

Only the southern third of Benton County, and most of Walla Walla County, remained in “extreme drought” as of then.

Western Washington also should get some relief from the rain but not until after midweek, when Seattle could get up to another inch of rain, according to AccuWeather.

With the ground already saturated from rain, more flooding of rivers and streams, landslides and road closures are possible west of the Cascade Mountains.

Already this month 10.14 inches of rain have been reported at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.