Watch a spring ‘blizzard’ dust the Tri-Cities. No need to grab a snow shovel

Unsettled weather are a common springtime weather pattern across the Mid-Columbia.

You’ve probably heard the saying “if you don’t like the weather, just wait 10 minutes.”

That held true on Monday.

First came early morning rain showers and then a sudden downpour about 3:30 p.m. with thunder, lightning and strong wind gusts.

The weather service had forecast possible hail in central Franklin County and northwest Walla Walla County.

In between the storms in the Tri-Cities were sunny skies with some wind that created “blossom blizzards” in spots around town.

With temperatures hovering in the 60s, the flying white stuff was merely petals from blossoming ornamental pear trees sent fluttering to the ground and swirling across the blacktop.

The unsettled weather conditions may continue Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

There’s a 40% chance of rain showers after 11 a.m. that are expected to be followed by partly sunny skies and a high near 64.

Winds will be from the southwest at 7 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

But because its spring, expect more weather changes the rest of the week. It should return to partly sunny skies during the days, light winds and high temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s.

This story was originally published April 7, 2025 at 4:50 PM.