Coldest winter temps so far to chill Tri-Cities, bringing concerns of freezing fog
The coldest weather of the Tri-Cities winter to date is forecast in the coming days and nights, according to National Weather Service data.
Overnight lows will drop to 21 to 22 degrees Saturday night and last until at least Wednesday night, according to the weather service.
Daytime highs still are not expected to drop to freezing, but temperatures should be close in the coming days. Highs of 33 are forecast for Martin Luther King Day and Tuesday, dropping from a high of 40 predicted for Friday.
So far in January highs have averaged 42 degrees, or almost two degrees above normal.
Lows have averaged just over 31, or four degrees above normal.
December also was warmer than usual with highs averaging 44, which is almost three degrees warmer than normal, and lows averaging almost 33 degrees, which is more than five degrees above normal.
People seeking shelter from the cold in Benton or Franklin counties during the day or at night can call 211 for locations and hours.
Mid-Columbia Libraries in Pasco, Kennewick, West Richland, Benton City, Connell, Kahlotus and Basin City and the Richland Public Library serve as temporary warming centers.
Other locations include the Tri-City Union Gospel Mission’s men’s and women’s shelters in Pasco; the Pasco First Avenue Center at 505 N. First Ave.; Columbia Center mall in Kennewick; the Richland Community Center; and Becky’s Coffee Corner and Renz Farmers Insurance Agency, both in Prosser.
No rain or snow
No rain or snow is forecast through at least Thursday in the Tri-Cities but with the colder weather could come some patchy freezing fog Friday morning, Monday night and Tuesday morning, according to the weather service.
The Tri-Cities had more than 2 inches of precipitation in December, which is about double normal. Already this month, 0.82 inches of precipitation has been measured in the Tri-Cities.
But that’s all been rain. The Tri-Cities has had no measurable snowfall so far this winter. The Hanford Meteorological Station has reported a trace of snow Dec. 12 and a tenth of an inch Jan. 1.
Still, the Kennewick Irrigation District says that the Cascade Mountain snowpack that feeds the Yakima River Basin is above average for this time of year.
However, the water level is low in the five Bureau of Reclamation water storage reservoirs for the Yakima River.
The reservoirs — Cle Elum, Kachess, Keechelus, Bumping and Rimrock — had just under 200,000 feet of water as of Jan. 9, which is less than half of usual for early January.
This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 4:53 PM.