Snow lingers as freezing temps ice the Tri-Cities. Windchill could send temps below 0
Leftover snow from Wednesday’s surprise overnight storm that didn’t melt in the recent sunny conditions and above freezing temperatures is likely to stick around the Tri-Cities for quite some time now.
The surprise storm caused hazardous driving conditions for commuters and delays for several school districts on Wednesday.
The winter weather advisory posted earlier in the week by National Weather Service predicting a large snowfall for the Tri-Cities this weekend has been taken down.
But the predicted bitter cold temperatures, dangerous wind chills and windy conditions still remain for much of the region.
Daytime high temperatures through the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend are expected to remain only in the teens and overnight lows will dip into the single digits.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill watch for the Lower Columbia Basin with possible wind chills as low as 20 below zero through Saturday morning.
The extreme wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes, according to the weather bulletin.
The frigid temperatures are so concerning that the Special Olympics Polar Plunge into the Columbia River in Richland that was scheduled for Saturday was delayed until March 16.
This story was originally published January 11, 2024 at 3:50 PM.