The warmest day of the week was able to produce record highs in the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla on March 19. Additionally, Hermiston tied their existing record for that date. Low elevation spots on the Hanford Site, around the Tri-Cities, and in the Hermiston area were able to tap 80°F (27°C) with widespread 70s (21-26°C) […]
Warm and sunny pattern to break down, Pacific Northwest returning to cool rain
Tuesday is likely to be the warmest day of this weather pattern for the Columbia Basin with the Tri-Cities reaching into the upper-70s (26°C). Temperatures in some areas west of the Cascades peaked on Monday. Portland recorded a high of 77°F (25°C), a new record for March 18, while Seattle peaked a few days ago. […]
Tri-Cities record first 70°F high of 2024
Upper level ridging continues to dominate conditions throughout the Pacific Northwest. This has produced highs above 70°F (21°C) in many lowland locations over the weekend. Quillayute, near Forks on the Olympic Peninsula, even recorded a high of 80°F (27°C) on Saturday. The Tri-Cities joined the club on Sunday with a high of 73°F (23°C). March […]
Portland gets first high above 70°F for 2024
Friday brought Portland’s first afternoon with temperatures above 70°F (21°C) for 2024 with a high of 71°F (22°C) at Portland International Airport. Numerous other stations throughout lowland areas of Western Oregon and parts of Western Washington also achieved 70°, though the Puget Sound Region missed out. This comes as a ridge of high pressure builds […]
Strong ridge to develop over the Northwest, sunny skies and warm temps forecast
Leftover moisture and cold air aloft will be enough for scattered showers and isolated t-storms throughout the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday. These storms will be more widespread along and west of the Cascades and some may produce small hail and/or graupel. The Columbia Gorge, Hermiston, and the Tri-Cities will be breezy Tuesday into Wednesday as […]
Third cold front in a row to pass through Pacific Northwest on Monday
The third system in a train that started late last week is forecast to reach the Pacific Northwest during the day Monday. High clouds from this are already reaching the Interstate 5 corridor as of 07:00. Rainfall totals through Tuesday reaching half an inch (10 mm) are forecast for Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver with higher […]
Mountaintop wind gusts almost reach 200 mph (320 km/h) in California blizzard
The Sierra Nevada mountains of California and Nevada are experiencing a rare extreme blizzard this weekend with incredible amounts of snow and strong winds forecast through Sunday including major travel corridors like Interstate 80 over Donner Summit and the Lake Tahoe area. Storm total snowfall may approach 11 feet (3.4 m) in some spots and […]
Columbia Basin dry for the weekend but showers return Monday
Some drizzle was observed in the Tri-Cities area Thursday and Friday as a low pressure system worked its way through the region. That low is on its way east to bring some snow to the Plains and Canadian Prairies (with sharp temperature drops in places like Winnipeg). The Columbia Basin will be in between regional […]
Tri-Cities breaks record for most consecutive days without reaching 60°
As temperatures warm toward the 50s, we’re inching closer to average and into Spring. With us just coming off a cold spell that produced the coldest temperatures ever recorded in March it’s hard to believe that this seemingly warm weather is still below average. In a more normal year, our high temperatures would be right around […]
First 80-degree day of the year expected
Blue skies are expected for the entirety of the work week, with temperatures climbing into the 80s for the Mid Columbia with a dry weather pattern in place. Our first 80-degree day of the year is forecasted to be Wednesday, with cooler temperatures returning this weekend. This will be the first time we’ve hit 80 […]