Winter hits as passes close and snow falls
A pickup makes its way carefully down a snowy street in downtown Moses Lake Monday.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
MOSES LAKE — It took a while, but winter is finally here in earnest in the Columbia Basin. And it looks like it’s not going away soon. The snow started Monday morning and was still coming down at press time.
“We’re looking for additional accumulations up to two inches,” said Jeremy Wolf, with the National Weather Service in Spokane.
Some of that snow will probably melt off today, Wolf said Monday afternoon.
“Windy conditions (Tuesday) will help mix out the cold air,” he explained. “Highs will be in the low to mid-40s, so any lingering snow Tuesday night will freeze back up.”
The wind Tuesday is expected to be in the neighborhood of 50 mph, according to the NWS, which issued a wind advisory through Wednesday.
Travelers will find it tough going in the mountains for a while. Snoqualmie Pass on Interstate 90 was closed on and off Monday due to collisions and spinouts, according to the state Department of Transportation. During the times when it was open, chains were generally required. Blewett Pass on U.S. 97 between Ellensburg and Wenatchee was also closed Monday afternoon. Stevens Pass between Wenatchee and Everett was expected to close for several hours Tuesday for avalanche control, according to the DOT.
Looking farther ahead, the NWS said that the mercury is going to plummet Thursday and stay down at least through Sunday, with low temperatures in single digits and highs venturing into the teens.
“We may start to see some gradual warming next week,” Wolf said. “(But) it looks like the cold weather’s going to stick around.”