Snow likely through Wednesday morning; higher temperatures likely as weekend nears

Forecasts for the Columbia Basin predict cool temperatures overnight throughout the week after snow Monday going into the first day of winter on Tuesday evening; however, temperatures are expected to warm slightly during the weekend.

“Our next system is going to come in late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning and it looks like Grant and Adams counties could see a little bit of light snow overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning, then it’s more likely that this will transition into light rain Wednesday afternoon as temperatures warm up,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Rebekah Cheatham.

Freezing rain is not likely, but any occurrences of freezing rain should melt off during daytime hours as ground temperatures rise above freezing during the day, Cheatham said. Icy road conditions should be alleviated by late morning. Total snowfall from Tuesday through Sunday should be light with about an inch falling in most parts of the Columbia Basin by the end of the week, though ground temperatures may keep the snow from sticking around.

Cheatham said some models are predicting colder weather for the week of Dec. 27 and she urged residents to ensure they were prepared for severe weather.

“There are a lot of different (weather models) out there, so it’s hard to say, but this is definitely something that has our attention,” Cheatham said. “Right now, our models have a forecasted low temperature Monday (Dec. 27) of 13 degrees for Ritzville, so that’s pretty cool. Maybe even 10 degrees for Tuesday (Dec. 18 in the) morning.”

Cheatham urged residents to ensure they are prepared for any severe winter weather that may come along. This includes stocking the home and vehicles with necessities, such as blankets, batteries, food and water for emergency use.

“Also, it’s good to have a portable charger,” Cheatham said. “We use our cellphones for a lot of things nowadays and if you need to call for help, it’s good to have a portable charger so you can actually reach somebody.”

For a full list of items to keep in your home and car for severe weather situations, view the NWS’s suggestions at https://bit.ly/WTHRREADY.

The Washington State Department of Transportation requires appropriate winter tires be mounted on vehicles from Nov. 1 to March 31 annually. For more information on what tires are approved for use on winter roads, visit https://bit.ly/WAWNTRTIRES.