Forecast for the Auburn Marching Band Competition

I am friends with a lot of folks in the Tri-Cities who have siblings or kids in marching band. This weekend, they will be traveling over to the west side of the mountains to participate in a parade and competition in Auburn. As the weather here outside Reno is fairly chill, and this is the largest marching band competition in the state of Washington, I decided to write about the weather over there instead.

Crossing the Pass

There is a chance of snow showers today, but little in the way of accumulation is expected. The NWS Seattle has the high as 36, NWS Pendleton has it as 40 and Weather Underground lists it as 34. The HRRR model has freezing levels remaining above pass level well into the night tonight.

Rain is expected at pass level Sunday as an incoming low-pressure system brings in southerly winds and warmer temperatures. Temperatures will continue to be above freezing overnight Sunday, allowing the precipitation to fall as rain at pass level, keeping travel across the pass from being a monumental task.

Map showing southerly winds at 10,000 feet bringing warmer temperatures into the Cascades. (Source: nullschool.net; cities added.)

Get the latest conditions on Snoqualmie Pass by going to WSDOT’s website.

In Auburn

NAM model showing expected cloud cover for 1pm Saturday. (Source: Pivotal Weather)

Veterans Day in Auburn will start off in true western Washington fashion with mostly cloudy skies. There is a chance of showers that begins in the late-afternoon and increases into the overnight hours. The parade should be mostly dry, with some drizzle possible or light rain showers during the competition.

During the parade, temperatures will be near 50 degrees, with a high that day in the mid-50s. Winds are expected to be light, around 5-10 mph.

In the Tri-Cities

If you’re a parent staying back in the Tri-Cities, there is a chance of rain showers today and tonight, with mostly cloudy skies for the rest of the weekend. Veterans Day is expected to be mostly cloudy with a high around 50 and very little breeze. Sunday will also be mostly cloudy with a high in the lower-50s.

Monday is when things will become more interesting. That low-pressure system expected to bring rain to Snoqualmie Pass Sunday will make it over the pass to bring rain to the Mid-Columbia on Monday.

Happy Veterans Day to all who have served in the military. We appreciate your sacrifice! If you are interested in attending the Veterans Day Parade in Auburn, details can be found here (archive). If you want more information about the competition, head over to this website (archive).

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2 Comments

  1. Thanks for a great article Mark. My daughters were in marching band in high school, and they travelled quite a bit to compete in the many band competitions. But we didn’t have a major mountain pass to traverse to get to any of the competitions … I must study a lot more pictures of the snowy NW mountain peak photos for ID. Some are easy, some not so. I am guessing that the picture you have in your post here is Mt Rainier but I am not so sure. I run a very informal contest once in a while when I run into a great picture of a state or other prominent high point – circulating a picture of it among my friends and seeing who can come up with the right answer first. Perhaps I will figure out how I could expand that to this blog, or else just get your private emails and sent it out to you along with many others, including Jeff Taylor, a long-time weather friend from back here in Maryland. Thanks again for the great post!

    1. You’re right! That is, in fact, Mount Rainier. It dominates the skyline of most cities in the Puget Sound Region south of Interstate 90. I spent several years living near Tacoma, so I have become very fond of seeing that mountain.

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