Arctic air brings bitter cold to Tri-Cities. Daytime wind chill in the teens

A blast of Arctic air is bringing the coldest temperatures in nearly two months to the Tri-Cities.

And the National Weather Service forecast a 30% chance of precipitation in the Tri-Cities on Presidents Day, falling as rain or even snow flurries.

The lowest elevation for snow to fall in the Tri-Cities area Monday was predicted to be 400 feet, the elevation of much of the Tri-Cities.

If there is snow, less than 1 inch is expected.

The Arctic air moving into Eastern Washington is expected to bring the coldest temperatures since late December and early January.

Windy weather will make temperatures feel even colder.

Highs could be right at freezing Tuesday and Wednesday, before warming to about 40 Thursday and Friday and then the mid 40s by Saturday and Sunday.

Tuesday night should be the coldest night of the week with a low forecast of about 15 degrees in the Tri-Cities.

Lows were forecast to be about 20 degrees Monday, Wednesday and Thursday night, with warming to 27 on Saturday night.

Normal highs for the Tri-Cities in January are about 41 degrees and normal lows are a few degrees below freezing at about 29.

Gusts as high as 26 mph were forecast for Monday night, increasing to 30 mph on Tuesday.

The wind chill factor could be as low as 5 on Monday night and 17 during the day Tuesday.

Travel forecast

Travelers between the Tri-Cities from Western Washington should have relatively good roads.

Just one to two inches was forecast Monday for Snoqualmie Pass on Interstate 90 in Washington, with no more snow until possibly Saturday night. The state Department of Transportation was requiring chains on all vehicles except all-wheel drive on Monday morning because of the pass conditions.

However, travelers should be prepared for very cold weather with warm clothing, including caps and gloves; blankets in the car; and emergency food and water.

The wind chill at the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass could be as low as minus 8 on Tuesday and minus 10 on Tuesday night.

A winter storm warning was issued through 4 p.m. Monday for some of the Blue Mountains on Interstate 84 in Eastern Oregon.

A total of 1 to 3 inches was forecast Monday at Meacham, Ore., in the Blue Mountains about 30 miles east of Pendleton.

No more snow is forecast for the rest of the week there, but travelers should be prepared for overnight lows in the single digits and teens.

This story was originally published February 21, 2022 at 11:21 AM.