Cold weather coming to Columbia Basin Friday, Saturday

by CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Staff Writer | March 12, 2020 12:20 AM

MOSES LAKE — That sunny, warmish, moderate weather isn’t going to last. The National Weather Service is forecasting snow for Friday and Saturday, with blustery winds that will make air temperatures feel like they’re in single digits.

Jeremy Wolf, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Spokane, said not much snow is expected in Moses Lake. “We will have anywhere from about an inch in Moses Lake and higher amounts, 3 to 4 inches, as you go north of Moses Lake,” he said. The Ephrata and Quincy areas could receive 2 to 3 inches.

The snow is forecast to arrive before noon Friday, with possible rain Friday afternoon and the chances of snow diminishing into Saturday. But it’s more than the snow.

“The big story is going to be the much colder air coming in,” Wolf said.

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, “the latest temperature is 60 degrees in Moses Lake,” Wolf said. “We’re going to see about a 30-degree drop in temperatures between now and Saturday.” Friday’s forecast high is 43 degrees, and 32 degrees is the forecast high Saturday.

Increasing northeast winds are forecast for Friday and Saturday. Sustained winds on Saturday are projected to be 20 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts to 40 miles per hour. The strong winds will push wind chill values to 5 to 10 degrees above zero. “That’s what it will feel like in the wind,” Wolf said.

Saturday’s low is forecast to be about 18 degrees in Moses Lake. Sunday night’s low is forecast to be 21 degrees.

While cold weather is not unusual in March, it’s still going to be pretty cold for this time of year. The coldest high temperature ever recorded in Ephrata on March 14 is 37 degrees, Wolf said, and the forecast high for March 14 is 32 degrees. “Right now, we’re forecasting the coldest high temperature ever recorded on that date (in Ephrata),” he said.

The culprit is cold air coming out of the Arctic.

The good news is the really cold air won’t stick around long, with temperatures beginning to creep back up Monday. Tuesday’s high is forecast for 48 degrees, according to the NWS website.