First freeze of season forecast in Northwest
Nov 10, 2014, 5:55 AM | Updated: Sep 30, 2024, 11:10 am
Forecasters say temperatures will drop Monday night and Tuesday into the 20s and 30s west of the Cascades and teens east of the Cascades. (AP file photo)
(AP file photo)
Arctic air pushing into the Northwest Tuesday and Wednesday is expected to bring the first freeze of the season in much of Washington and Oregon.
The National Weather Service said it could be followed Thursday and Friday by snow in places.
“Hard freeze” might be overstating it, according to KING 5 meteorologist Rich Marriott.
He said chilly temperatures Monday is just our weather returning to normal.
“We’ve been about 10 degrees above normal for the month of October and the first week of November,” Marriott said. “But today (Monday) we’re into the upper 30s and the low-to-mid 40s. The next couple of days we’ll see some places dropping down to below freezing. But that’s briefly in the mornings and then we’ll warm back up again.”
Forecasters said temperatures will drop Monday night and Tuesday into the 20s and 30s west of the Cascades and teens east of the Cascades.
Gusty east winds will lower the wind chill and make it feel even colder. The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for areas along the Cascade foothills in effect from 6 a.m. Tuesday to 4 p.m. Wednesday.
“We’re going to see some strong, gusty winds and some cold air that’s going to go in and hit the central portion of the country. The very edge of that is going to filter into Eastern Washington and the interior of BC and that’s going to come across the Cascades,” Marriott said.
Wind speeds are expected to reach 20-35 mph, gusting up to 50 mph.
That cold air, which is already striking the Midwest, is the result of a frigid, powerful storm that hit Alaska over the weekend.
The National Weather Service said there’s a chance of snow Wednesday night through Friday, mostly in the mountains.
“A little rain moves in as we head to Thursday,” Marriott said. “That might start with some wet snow flakes around the Hood Canal area, (from) some trapped cold air.”
But Marriott said the snow will quickly turn to rain. The sun is expected to return to the Seattle area by the weekend.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
