Strong winds and maybe snow forecast for Tri-Cities. It’s going to feel like winter

Strong winds are forecast for the Tri-Cities on Friday and Saturday, with the possibility of the first snow of the season in the coming workweek, according to the National Weather Service.

It has issued a high wind watch for Washington state’s Mid-Columbia region, with the strongest winds forecast for Friday night through Saturday morning.

Trash cans will blow around, cross winds will make driving difficult and trees could lose limbs, it said.

Friday should start out breezy in the Tri-Cities with sustained wind speeds of 14 mph building to 23 mph. Gusts as high as 39 mph are forecast.

Friday night the southwest wind should increase to sustained speeds of 26 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph in town and 50 mph at nearby higher elevations.

Saturday also will be windy, with sustained speeds of 26 to 31 mph in the morning, decreasing to 18 to 23 in the afternoon, according to the weather service forecast.

Rain was forecast for Thursday night, with the chance of rain Friday and Friday night at 50% to 60%.

Saturday could be mostly dry with rain returning Sunday or Sunday night.

There’s a slight chance of snow in the outlying areas of the Tri-Cities on Monday, but only at elevations of 1,200 feet and higher. Much of the Tri-Cities is about 400 feet.

The upper slopes of Rattlesnake Mountain, standing 3,500 feet high, could turn white.

The chance of snow in the Tri-Cities will increase Tuesday and Tuesday night, according to the early forecast from the weather service.

Temperatures in the Tri-Cities will be dropping starting Monday.

Monday the high is forecast 41, with highs in the mid 30s on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Sunday night the low should be just above freezing, but Monday and Tuesday night the temperature could fall to 28 degrees.

Travel forecast

Weekend travelers over Snoqualmie Pass on Interstate 90 in Washington should be prepared for snow.

Friday about 3 to 4 inches are forecast with more snow possible Friday night.

Saturday will likely be the worst day to travel, with new snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible. Both Saturday night and Sunday another 2 to 4 inches are forecast, with snow continuing Sunday night through Tuesday night.

Keep an eye on the Washington Cascade Mountain pass reports at wsdot.com/travel/real-time/mountainpasses.

Travelers heading east from the Tri-Cities on Interstate 84 through Oregon should see only small amounts of snow after Thursday night until at least Sunday at Meacham, about 30 miles east of Pendleton, Ore.

A chance of snow is forecast from Sunday through Wednesday with snow likely Sunday night there.

This story was originally published November 3, 2022 at 12:02 PM.