1st snowfall of winter dusts Tri-Cities region. Forecast says there could be more
Tri-Cities received it’s first snow of the winter overnight.
It wasn’t much and mostly dusted lawns and sidewalks. But it forced drivers to slow down on their morning commutes to work and school.
The forecast calls for continued clouds today with daytime highs near 35 and breezes up to 10 mph, said the National Weather Service.
A 70% chance of precipitation is expected Tuesday night with new snow accumulations of 1 to 2 inches possible, said the weather service.
Wednesday could be partly sunny with a high near 36 degrees with a slight chance of snow that night.
The Tri-Cities will have another chance of snow Thursday night into Friday morning, according to the weather service. But the chance of precipitation is only 20%.
Overnight lows are forecast to remain in the 20s. The coldest night of the coming week is likely to be Friday with a low of 20. Normal lows for that date in the Tri-Cities are about 28 degrees.
Tri-Cities travel forecast
Travelers heading east from the Tri-Cities through Oregon on Interstate 84 should be prepared for snow.
A winter storm warning was issued for the Pendleton, Ore., area through 10 a.m. Wednesday, and a winter weather advisory was issued for much of the rest of the interstate to almost Ontario, Ore.
The weather service predicted more snow late Tuesday afternoon, for a total of 1 to 3 inches in the Blue Mountain at Meacham, about 30 miles east of Pendleton. Overnight another 3 to 5 inches is forecast.
Visibility as low as a half mile and heavy snowfall at times is expected in the Blue Mountains, according to the weather service.
Travelers heading west from the Tri-Cities and crossing the Washington Cascade Mountains should also be prepared for some snow.
The weather services predicts just a 40% chance of snow today, but snow likely Wednesday. It forecasts 1 to 2 inches of snow Wednesday and another 1 to 3 inches Wednesday night.
This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 8:27 AM.