Tri-Cities Weather Center

Strong winds back in the forecast

2012-02-23T19:27:00.003-08:00

Good evening! I don't have much time this evening so there will just be the forecast graphic.

There is a High Wind Watch in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, NE Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

Decreasing winds tonight

2012-02-22T17:03:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! After a rather blustery day that caused winds up on Rattlesnake Mountain to top out at around 92 MPH, we will see winds begin to calm down tonight leaving us with mostly sunny skies tomorrow. There is a good chance of showers Friday night.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	59F	51F	65F
Low temp	53F	29F	8F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.30"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 5.2 (Medium)
Friday: 4.5 (Medium-Low)
Saturday: 4.6 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 38F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 39F
Lower Monumental Dam: 38F

There is a High Wind Warning in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, N Umatilla, and N Morrow Counties.

Very windy tomorrow...

2012-02-21T16:30:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! We're looking at some insane winds tomorrow with winds gusting around 65 MPH. There is a High Wind Warning currently in effect.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	42F	54F	71F
Low temp	25F	29F	13F
Precipitation	0.04"	--	0.56"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 5.0 (Medium)
Thursday: 7.8 (Medium-High)
Friday: 4.7 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 38F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 39F
Lower Monumental Dam: 38F

WINDS:
Winds will pick up overnight tonight to around 50 MPH with gusts up around 65. The strongest winds will be outside of town. Use caution while driving, especially in rural areas where the winds could cause traffic problems.

There is a High Wind Warning in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, NW Umatilla, and N Morrow Counties.

High Wind Warning

2012-02-21T07:09:00.000-08:00

Good morning! I'm posting this brief update to let you know that we are expecting big time winds starting tonight and lasting until tomorrow night. We could see gusts of up to 65 MPH with sustained winds around 45-55 MPH. Today we will see breezy conditions around 15 to 25 MPH. Winds will likely be higher on top of area ridges and over on the Hanford Site. Here's the warning from the National Weather Service:

.AN INTENSE LOW PRESSURE WILL APPROACH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND TIGHTEN PRESSURE GRADIENTS ACROSS OUR AREA TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN VERY WINDY CONDITIONS WITH WESTERLY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. IN ADDITION THE WESTERLY WINDS CROSSING THE CASCADES MAY
DEVELOP MOUNTAIN WAVES WHICH CAN RESULT IN SUDDEN STRONG GUSTS TO 70 MPH IN THE VALLEYS ALONG THE LEE OF THE CASCADES...PARTICULARLY IN NORTH CENTRAL OREGON AND THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THE YAKIMA VALLEY.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PENDLETON HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 PM PST WEDNESDAY. THE HIGH WIND WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* TIMING: WINDS WILL INCREASE TONIGHT AND BECOME STRONG BY LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING BEFORE DECREASING BY LATE WEDNESDAY EVENING.

* WINDS: WESTERLY WINDS OF 30 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE.

* IMPACTS: TRAVELERS ALONG AREA HIGHWAYS...ESPECIALLY THOSE IN HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES...SHOULD USE CAUTION AND BE PREPARED FOR SUDDEN WIND GUSTS. ALSO SMALL OBJECTS MAY BECOME AIRBORNE IN THE WIND AND CAUSE DAMAGE AS THEY IMPACT HOMES... CARS AND PEDESTRIANS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A HIGH WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE 40 MPH OR GREATER WITH GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 58 MPH. THESE WINDS CAN EASILY TOSS AROUND LOOSE OBJECTS AND DOWN LARGE TREE LIMBS AND POWERLINES. THOSE VENTURING OUTDOORS SHOULD USE EXTREME CAUTION AND BE ALERT FOR FLYING DEBRIS. DRIVING MAY ALSO BE DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON.

60s this week? :O

2012-02-19T17:03:00.000-08:00

Good evening! That's right, we may see temperatures reaching above 60 degrees this week! Also, I will have the graphic for the west side again today.

Also, up on Stevens Pass we are hearing word of an avalanche that killed four. More details are available from KOMO News.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	49F	50F	62F
Low temp	40F	28F	7F
Precipitation	0.01"	--	0.34"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Monday: 3.5 (Medium-Low)
Tuesday: 5.8 (Medium)
Wednesday: 7.7 (Medium-High)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 38F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 37F
Lower Monumental Dam: 38F

Rain tomorrow...

2012-02-16T16:28:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! It looks fairly positive that we'll be seeing rain tomorrow beginning in the afternoon with showers through the rest of the weekend.

Travelling over the passes to the west side tomorrow? Check out the forecast for that area below the Mid-Columbia weather map for forecasted temperatures and snow levels for the Cascades and West Side! Many areas have a large chance of precipitation.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	51F	49F	67F
Low temp	26F	28F	17F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.32"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 2.0 (Low)
Saturday: 1.7 (Low)
Sunday: 1.7 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 38F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 37F
Lower Monumental Dam: 38F

Mostly Cloudy skies through the weekend...

2012-02-15T15:47:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! Even though it was beautifully sunny today, it doesn't look like we'll see much in the way of sunshine for the next few days.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	50F	49F	59F
Low temp	34F	28F	7F
Precipitation	0.01"	--	0.29"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 2.2 (Low)
Friday: 2.9 (Medium-Low)
Saturday: 2.0 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 38F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 37F
Lower Monumental Dam: 38F

Drizzle, Sun, Drizzle

2012-02-13T16:15:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! So while I was in Journalism today we all decided to Google each other's names. As many people know, this usually comes up with results about people from across the country who share your name and have random occupations. While typing in my name, we only had to get as far as 'Mark Ing' to get to the point where Google's third suggestion is 'Mark Ingalls weather.' Color me surprised!

Now onto the weather...

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	51F	48F	63F
Low temp	28F	28F	17F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.43"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday: 3.0 (Medium-Low)
Wednesday: 2.7 (Medium-Low)
Thursday: 3.2 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 38F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 37F
Lower Monumental Dam: 38F

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please email me at mark.ingalls@footsforecast.org! In the meantime, I'm Mark Ingalls wishing you a great day!

A fairly wet week ahead...

2012-02-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! I hope everyone enjoyed the sunshine that we saw today because it does not appear likely that we will see it again for a few days.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	47F	48F	58F
Low temp	35F	29F	18F
Precipitation	0.18"	--	0.22"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Monday: 1.9 (Low)
Tuesday: 2.9 (Medium-Low)
Wednesday: 3.0 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 38F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 38F
Lower Monumental Dam: 37F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Wet weekend...

2012-02-09T16:23:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! It looks like we'll see times of drizzle over the weekend...

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	43F	47F	66F
Low temp	35F	29F	5F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.36"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 2.3 (Low)
Saturday: 3.6 (Medium-Low)
Sunday: 3.1 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 38F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 38F
Lower Monumental Dam: 37F

Sun by Friday

2012-02-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! It looks like we may see a few showers tomorrow, than gradual clearing.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	34F	46F	59F
Low temp	24F	29F	0F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.24"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 1.4 (Low)
Thursday: 2.7 (Medium-Low)
Friday: 3.0 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 38F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 38F
Lower Monumental Dam: 37F

The sun shall return!

2012-02-06T15:19:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! We've only got about one more day left of the fog and clouds, then back to the sun!

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	40F	46F	59F
Low temp	27F	29F	2F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.22"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday: 1.4 (Low)
Wednesday: 2.1 (Low)
Thursday: 2.6 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 38F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 38F
Lower Monumental Dam: 37F

There is a Freezing Fog Advisroy in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, NW Umatilla, and N Morrow Counties.
There is a Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, NW Umatilla, and N Morrow Counties.

Sun tomorrow... Air Stagnation through the weekend...

2012-02-02T17:54:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! A large ridge of high pressure is setting up across the Pacific Northwest which will trap cool, moist, polluted air in the Columbia Basin and it appears this will last for days. For an explanation of Air Stagnation Advisories (like the one in effect right now), take a look at my Special Report from December 1, 2011.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	55F	45F	59F
Low temp	31F	29F	-12F
Precipitation	0.04"	--	0.40"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 0.2 (Low)
Saturday: 2.9 (Medium-Low)
Sunday: 2.8 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 38F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 38F
Lower Monumental Dam: 37F

Inversion coming into play this weekend...

2012-02-01T16:37:00.000-08:00

UPDATE - 7:00 AM Thursday
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning proclaiming that we will have 6 more weeks of winter. I don't think I agree with this forecast.

Image: Keith Srakocic/AP Photo

Main Update
Good afternoon! We'll see the sun today and tomorrow, but it looks like we may see some fog this weekend through the beginning of next week. It may even affect Walla Walla and Pendleton starting Sunday.

Now, Groundhog Day is coming up tomorrow, so with that I decided that I would let everyone know that according to the National Climate Data Center Punxsutawney Phil is only right 39% of the time. Very interesting. Tomorrow in Punxsutawney, PA they are expecting Mostly Cloudy skies with a high near 40F.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	55F	45F	66F
Low temp	33F	29F	-16F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.54"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 0.2 (Low)
Friday: 2.8 (Medium-Low)
Saturday: 3.0 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 38F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 38F
Lower Monumental Dam: 37F

Rain tonight; sun Thursday

2012-01-31T16:36:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! Alaska is still having some pretty cold temperatures, remaining just below those on the Martian surface. Some of you may not have believed me yesterday, so here it is: The map on top is temperatures and winds on Mars whereas the chart below shows temperatures recorded by the National Weather Service in Fairbanks, Alaska...

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	52F	45F	62F
Low temp	41F	29F	-13F
Precipitation	0.07"	--	0.30"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 2.9 (Medium-Low)
Thursday: 2.9 (Medium-Low)
Friday: 2.8 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 38F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 38F
Lower Monumental Dam: 37F

It looks like showers tonight and into tomorrow morning before we see gradual clearing...

Alaska is colder than... Mars?

2012-01-30T16:14:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! That's right, yesterday according to satellite images taken from above Mars the temperature in some areas of the northern hemisphere were above -20F. Compare that to Fairbanks, Alaska where according to the National Weather Service they hit -52F. I am very happy I am not in Alaska OR on Mars today, now onto local weather...

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	59F	44F	62F
Low temp	36F	29F	-9F
Precipitation	0.03"	--	0.27"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday: 3.8 (Medium-Low)
Wednesday: 5.2 (Medium)
Thursday: 3.4 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 38F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 38F
Lower Monumental Dam: 37F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Calming breeze tonight...

2012-01-26T16:29:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! We saw a little bit of wind today, which will begin to die down overnight tonight. Tomorrow we'll see mostly sunny skies with temperatures around 40.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	54F	43F	57F
Low temp	40F	29F	8F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.31"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 0.7 (Low)
Saturday: 2.2 (Low)
Sunday: 3.1 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 36F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 36F
Lower Monumental Dam: 37F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

The snow is almost gone!

2012-01-25T15:35:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! Today we hit about 55 degrees at my apartment in Kennewick, which is good for all of us who are sick of the snow! I was able to see that portions of the North Slopes of Badger Mountain were still fairly covered in snow, but that's about it.

While we just have a slight chance of rain here in the Tri-Cities, areas along and east of a line from Walla Walla to Pendleton to Heppner will likely see rain tonight.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	52F	43F	58F
Low temp	20F	29F	4F
Precipitation	0.13"	--	0.85"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 1.1 (Low)
Friday: 2.2 (Low)
Saturday: 2.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 36F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 36F
Lower Monumental Dam: 37F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Sun Thursday and Friday!

2012-01-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! Special thanks to Scott & Jamie Livingston along with Terry Cruz Jr. for sending in weather photos, both from Hawaii where Terry says the temperature is 84 degrees! Man wouldn't that be nice. Here at the Tri-Cities Weather Center at 2 PM it was 33. Lame. What can we expect over the next few days? Lets find out!

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	40F	43F	60F
Low temp	20F	29F	7F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.65"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 2.9 (Medium-Low)
Thursday: 1.6 (Low)
Friday: 2.3 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 36F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 36F
Lower Monumental Dam: 37F

There is a Winter Weather Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, and western Walla Walla Counties until 7 PM.

January 2012 Photos

2012-01-24T06:15:00.000-08:00

Well here we are starting off the New Year with new photos! Remember to send in yours - mark.ingalls@footsforecast.org

Submitted by: Scott & Jamie Livingston - Location: Molokai, Hawaii
Date: September 2011 (Upload 24 Jan 2012)
This is taken from our beach on the East Side of Molokai, Hawaii looking East at Lahaina, Maui.

Submitted by: Terry Cruz Jr. - Location: Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii
Date: 24 January 2012
84 here in Maui, HI :)
[Editor's note: That 84 degrees is as of about 3 PM PST 24 Jan 2012]

Welcome KORD Listeners!

2012-01-23T17:52:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! This morning I started regular weather updates with the KORD Waking Crew. Special thanks to them and my uncle Ben who also works at Townsquare Media for making it all possible! They even made a graphic for me!

Now onto the weather, which looks to be wet... not snowy! Well, that's kind of a lie - we may see some snow tomorrow morning, but no accumulations are expected.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	41F	43F	54F
Low temp	33F	29F	7F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.42"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday: 0.4 (Low)
Wednesday: 2.6 (Medium-Low)
Thursday: 4.6 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 36F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 36F
Lower Monumental Dam: 37F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

A slushy mess

2012-01-22T17:01:00.000-08:00

Good evening! As temperatures climbed above 32 yesterday and today the snow started to melt, leaving us with a lot of slush and some pretty big puddles. This melting will continue overnight and into tomorrow with a chance of showers tonight.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	43F	43F	54F
Low temp	21F	29F	10F
Precipitation	0.28"	--	0.30"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Monday: 0.4 (Low)
Tuesday: 1.3 (Low)
Wednesday: 3.0 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 39F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 38F
Lower Monumental Dam: 38F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

New storm system to bring a chance of freezing rain tomorrow

2012-01-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! As we continue to see various forms of frozen precipitation another storm is beginning to make its way into the Pacific Northwest. This system will bring a chance of freezing rain tomorrow before temperatures rise above freezing tomorrow evening. Following the warm up, we have a good chance of normal rain which will help clear away some of the ice and snow.

Even on the west side they are having snow issues, just check out this Craigslist ad for Free Snow!

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	34F	42F	59F
Low temp	19F	28F	11F
Precipitation	0.28"	--	0.39"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 0.4 (Low)
Saturday: 1.4 (Low)
Sunday: 3.2 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 39F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 38F
Lower Monumental Dam: 38F

There is a Winter Storm Warning in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, N Umatilla, and N Morrow Counties.

More snow!

2012-01-18T17:17:00.000-08:00

VIDEO UPDATE - 12:45 PM Tuesday

VIDEO UPDATE - 10:45 AM Thursday

UPDATE - 8:00 PM
The Winter Storm Watch for the Columbia Basin has been downgraded to a Winter Weather Advisory with 2 to 4 inches of snow expected. A Winter Storm Warning is now in effect for E Walla Walla, N Umatilla, and N Morrow Counties with 2 to 6 inches of snow expected along with a quarter inch of ice.

Main update:
Good afternoon! At 2:30 PM we had 6 1/8" of snow on the ground and flurries were still coming down. Overnight tonight we will see a warm front push through, but that will only warm temperatures many feet above us so precipitation will likely become freezing rain overnight tonight and last into tomorrow.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	45F	42F	61F
Low temp	32F	28F	5F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.33"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 0.5 (Low)
Friday: 0.1 (Low)
Saturday: 0.6 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 39F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 38F
Lower Monumental Dam: 38F

Snow:
Looks like scattered snow showers overnight tonight, but tomorrow we could see another 3-6 inches with some freezing rain and sleet mixed in. Most of the precipitation should be in and south of the Tri-Cities. The National Weather Service just issued a Winter Storm Watch. The text of the watch is below...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PENDLETON HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE
THURSDAY NIGHT. THE WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED IN THE
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS...THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN AND
THE EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE. THERE WILL ALSO BE PERIODS OF
FREEZING RAIN.

* TIMING: SNOW WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THURSDAY
AND CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY EVENING.

* LOCATIONS INCLUDE: BOARDMAN...HERMISTON...IONE...ARLINGTON...
THE DALLES...HEPPNER...CONDON...FOSSIL...CONNELL...PROSSER...
TRI-CITIES...DAYTON...WAITSBURG...WALLA WALLA...WHITE SALMON

* IMPACTS: SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS DRIVING
CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN AND THE FOOTHILLS
OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. ROADS MAY BECOME VERY ICY.

There is a Winter Storm Watch in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Umatilla, and Morrow Counties.

Here she comes!

2012-01-17T16:15:00.000-08:00

UPDATE - 5:45 AM Wednesday
Right now in Kennewick we have 4.5 inches of snow. Send in your reports to mark.ingalls@footsforecast.org! I will be on 88.1 KTCV doing updates starting at about 6.

UPDATE - 9:00 PM
As of right now it looks like the bulk of the storm will begin making its way into the Columbia Basin after about 3 PM. We may see some scattered showers beforehand, but nothing too major.

UPDATE - 5:10 PM
Rain/snow mix is being reported on Interstate 82 in the Horse Heaven Hills with all snow coming down on the crest. This is good news for all you snow lovers out there as the snow level continues to drop! No accumulation is being reported on the highway at this time.

Main Update
Good afternoon! You know, I have always wondered why things like ships and storms (with the exception of many hurricanes) are called 'she'. If anyone has an answer to this, please email me at mark.ingalls@footsforecast.org.

On a different note, my interview with KORD went great this morning and starting Monday I will be on there pretty much every weekday!

Now onto weather. Its really getting crazy out there. Off the Oregon coast there are Hurricane Force Wind Warnings in effect. Here the winds are pretty strong, but not quite that strong. These winds should continue through tomorrow bringing us blizzard-like conditions at times. Following the snow it looks like freezing rain Thursday. More on that below. Also below will be information for how you can send in your snow reports and pictures!

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	38F	42F	64F
Low temp	17F	28F	7F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.30"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 0.6 (Low)
Thursday: 0.1 (Low)
Friday: 0.8 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 39F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 38F
Lower Monumental Dam: 38F

Snow:
It looks like temperatures will drop to about 30 overnight tonight and continue dropping to around 29 after sunrise tomorrow. I'm still looking at snow depths around 4-8 inches with the highest amounts near Walla Walla and Pendleton. I've heard that this morning Washtucna already had over 6 inches of snow on the ground.

Freezing Rain:
Now lets talk freezing rain. It looks like snow will switch over to freezing rain Wednesday evening and we could see up to an half inch of ice on the roads in the Tri-Cities by Thursday afternoon.

A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING
TO 7 PM PST WEDNESDAY.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED IN THE
FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS AND THE LOWER COLUMBIA
BASIN.

* ELEVATION: ALL ELEVATIONS.

* TIMING: SNOW WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND INCREASE IN
COVERAGE AND INTENSITY TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.

* LOCATIONS INCLUDE: TRI-CITIES...PROSSER...DAYTON...WALLA
WALLA...PENDLETON...PILOT ROCK

* WINDS: 15 TO 25 MPH WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH WILL CAUSE
OCCASIONAL BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW.

* IMPACTS: SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS DRIVING
CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN AND THE
FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS. ROADS MAY BECOME
VERY ICY WEDNESDAY EVENING IF FREEZING RAIN DEVELOPS.

Submit your photos and snow reports!
You can submit photos and snow reports to me by emailing me at mark.ingalls@footsforecast.org OR by posting them straight to my Facebook page. Please include your location and if via email your name also so I can credit you!

If Kennewick School District is on a delay or cancelled tomorrow, I will be in with Ed Daily on 88.1 FM with the latest on school closures, road conditions, and weather updates so be sure to tune in!

There is a Winter Storm Warning in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Umatilla, and Morrow Counties.

So much snow, you're not gonna be able to find a stick to shake at it

2012-01-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

UPDATE - 10:11 AM Tuesday
It looks like we could see 1/10 to 1/4 of an inch of freezing rain on Thursday. This should become all rain by 10 AM Thursday.

UPDATE - 8:45 PM Monday
Winter Storm Warning just issued for the Columbia Basin. The Winter Storm Watch is no longer in effect.

The National Weather Service says to expect 3 to 6 inches of snow for the Tri-Cities. I think I'm gonna stick with 4 to 8 for now. Snowfall is expected to start sometime tomorrow afternoon.

There is now a Winter Storm Warning in effect for the entire area.

UPDATE - 4:40 PM Monday
Some of the Winter Storm Watches have been upgraded to warnings. Current NWS Advisories go as follows...
There is a Winter Storm Watch in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, NW Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.
There is a Winter Storm Warning in effect for S and E Umatilla and S Morrow Counties.

Main Update
Good afternoon! Yes, I know that's a long title but that's what we're looking at. Plus, being in the desert, sticks are hard to find as it is. So, my thumb drive with the maps on it is still hiding so there won't be any of those today. Remember tomorrow at about 6:20 AM I will be interviewed live on 102.7 KORD about the upcoming storm.

We'll go over what we can expect for snowfall after the other stuff...

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	41F	42F	60F
Low temp	23F	28F	6F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.70"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday: 1.3 (Low)
Wednesday: 0.1 (Low)
Thursday: 1.7 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 39F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 38F
Lower Monumental Dam: 38F

So right now it looks as though here in the Tri-Cities we could see upwards of 6 inches of snow. The National Weather Service says 4-8" for our area. Walla Walla and Pendleton could see up to 10 inches. Another problem we should note is the winds which are expected. They are not expected to reach blizzard strength, but it will likely cause some problems.

Here's the text from the Winter Storm Watch that is currently in effect...

WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING...

A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 6 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED.

* ELEVATION: ALL ELEVATIONS.

* TIMING: LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP TUESDAY AFTERNOON THEN WILL
INCREASE IN INTENSITY TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. WARMER
AIR ALOFT MAY BRING A CHANCE OF FREEZING RAIN WEDNESDAY
EVENING.

* LOCATIONS INCLUDE: CONNELL...PROSSER...TRI-CITIES...DAYTON...
WAITSBURG...WALLA WALLA

* WINDS: 10 TO 20 MPH WINDS MAY CAUSE LOCAL BLOWING SNOW.

* IMPACTS: THE MAIN IMPACT WILL BE HEAVY SNOW...CREATING
TRAFFIC PROBLEMS ACROSS THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN AND BLUE
MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS OF WASHINGTON. FREEZING RAIN IS ALSO
POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY EVENING.

There is a Winter Storm Watch in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Umatilla, and Morrow Counties.

Winter Storm Watch issued...

2012-01-15T16:51:00.000-08:00

UPDATE - 11:30 AM Monday
I will be on 102.7 KORD at about 6:20 AM tomorrow. We are still looking at 6-10 inches of snow for the Tri-Cities and Hermiston with a little bit more in Pendleton and Walla Walla. A Winter Storm Watch remains in effect for our area.

UPDATE - 9:15 AM Monday
Numerical weather models, which max out at >6 inches, are currently pegged for Tuesday night into Wednesday. The National Weather Service says to expect 1-3 inches Tuesday night with 4-8 inches Wednesday. The warm are is not expected to intrude until Wednesday evening, and even then temperatures in the Tri-Cities will remain around freezing until the next morning. I would not be surprised to see 9 inches of snow in total in the Tri-Cities. A Winter Storm Watch remains in effect. Stay tuned to this site, the National Weather Service, and other local media outlets for more information or you can email me at mark.ingalls@footsforecast.org.

UPDATE - 6 PM Sunday
Scattered snow showers are working their way about the Columbia Basin. Yakima received a dusting of snow earlier out of such a storm. Expect accumulations to remain below a quarter of an inch.

Main Update
Good afternoon! The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the Washington portions of my forecasting zone. I will have all that and more right below the other stuff. Also, there will be no weather map today.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	54F	41F	62F
Low temp	21F	28F	8F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.37"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Monday: 0.7 (Low)
Tuesday: 3.3 (Medium-Low)
Wednesday: 0.3 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 42F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 40F
Lower Monumental Dam: 39F

So it appears that we are looking at a major winter weather event. Here's a part of the Winter Storm Watch issued by the National Weather Service...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PENDLETON HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
WEDNESDAY EVENING.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED.

* ELEVATION: ALL ELEVATIONS.

* TIMING: LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP TUESDAY AFTERNOON THEN WILL
INCREASE IN INTENSITY TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. WARMER AIR
ALOFT ON WEDNESDAY WILL BRING A CHANCE OF FREEZING RAIN.

* LOCATIONS INCLUDE: CONNELL...PROSSER...TRI-CITIES...DAYTON...
WAITSBURG...WALLA WALLA

* WINDS: 10 TO 20 MPH WINDS MAY CAUSE LOCAL BLOWING SNOW.

* IMPACTS: THE MAIN IMPACT WILL BE HEAVY SNOW...CREATING TRAFFIC
PROBLEMS ACROSS THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN AND BLUE MOUNTAIN
FOOTHILLS OF WASHINGTON. FREEZING RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE ON
WEDNESDAY.

There is a Winter Storm Watch in effect for Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla Counties.

That's a big chance of snow...

2012-01-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! On this sunny, warm Saturday it looks like we have a huge change to our weather pattern coming! Suburbs of Seattle are already reporting over an inch of snow and Portland is under a Winter Weather Advisory at this time. Our highest chance of snowfall comes Tuesday night into Wednesday with up to an 80% chance.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	34F	41F	61F
Low temp	15F	28F	0F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.37"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Sunday: 1.5 (Low)
Monday: 3.3 (Medium-Low)
Tuesday: 2.8 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 42F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 40F
Lower Monumental Dam: 39F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Wet week ahead...

2012-01-13T16:28:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! It looks like tomorrow we will see much higher temperatures - around 45 - with mostly cloudy skies and it wouldnt even surprise me to see some drizzle. Chances of rain increase the farther into next week that we go.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	34F	41F	60F
Low temp	10F	28F	0F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.34"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 3.1 (Medium-Low)
Friday: 2.9 (Low)
Saturday: 2.5 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 42F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 40F
Lower Monumental Dam: 39F

I do not have PowerPoint on my laptop yet, so I won't be able to create the weather map until I get that.

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Change to the weather pattern on the way...

2012-01-11T15:33:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! We will continue to see mostly sunny skies through Saturday and it wouldn't surprise me to see some fog.

There will be no weather map today as I have lost the thumb drive that has that stuff on it.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	48F	41F	60F
Low temp	23F	27F	2F
Precipitation	0.04"	--	0.43"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 0.5 (Low)
Friday: 2.3 (Low)
Saturday: 3.2 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 42F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 40F
Lower Monumental Dam: 39F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Sun for the week, isolated showers for the weekend

2012-01-10T16:06:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! Like today it looks like we'll see sun for much of the rest of the week, but unlike today the rest of the week will be cold. Highs in the low to mid 30s with lows in the low to mid 20s. It wouldn't even surprise me to see some teens for lows overnight tonight.

In Texas, places like Midland have received more snow this season than most of Minnesota. Midland saw 10.3 inches of snow Monday, bringing their total since December 1 to 19.5 inches. Compare that to Duluth, Minn. which has only seen 8.3 inches, and even more amazing when compared to Fargo, N.D. where they have only received 3.1 inches.

Here we have a slight chance of snow this weekend, but at this time it doesn't look like it will amount to much.

There will be no weather map today.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	35F	41F	67F
Low temp	21F	27F	3F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.86"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: N/A (Low)
Thursday: 2.4 (Low)
Friday: 2.3 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 42F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 40F
Lower Monumental Dam: 39F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Isolated Showers tonight... Sun for much of the week

2012-01-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! Here in the Tri-Cities we saw quite a bit of fog for much of the day. Portions of Kennewick started to see the stuff burn off right around 2 PM, but it still remained dreary. Interestingly enough, at 1 PM when it was foggy and 30F at the Tri-Cities Airport, Pendleton was basking in the sun with a temperature just short of 50 degrees.

We may see some isolated showers tonight, especially around the mountains, but other than that we will see clearing skies tomorrow and sun for much of the week.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	45F	40F	60F
Low temp	23F	27F	10F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.36"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday: 2.1 (Low)
Wednesday: 2.8 (Medium-Low)
Thursday: 2.8 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 42F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 40F
Lower Monumental Dam: 39F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Decreasing clouds tonight, sun for the weekend

2012-01-06T15:46:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! A low pressure system off the coast sneaked much farther south than was expected, bringing more clouds than was expected. This system is going to head off to the east overnight bringing us sunshine for the weekend.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	56F	40F	58F
Low temp	29F	27F	10F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.48"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Saturday: 1.5 (Low)
Sunday: 3.4 (Medium-Low)
Monday: 3.3 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 42F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 40F
Lower Monumental Dam: 39F

And now the explanation of why we get such cool colors from our affiliate, Foot's Forecast along with the national forecast...

11:30 AM EST 1/6/12 | Now THAT was a sunrise! | Our Maryland Team could not let this one get away. A rainbow-like mosaic of colors graced the early morning sky over Central Maryland on this Day of Epiphany.

After our first post at 7:30 AM, we did some fact checking on this holiday recognized by some religions, as well as a deeper scientific investigation of the red sky phenomenon. It turns out that in the original Greek, "Ephipany" means "striking appearance" or "illuminating discovery" of the "essential nature of something." The historical origins of this Earth-Sun dance in the atmosphere may have begun with whom some call "the first forecaster" as recorded 2,000 years ago in the Bible. Details in this brief article by the Online Lbrary of Congress.

From a scientific perspective, this event is one example of how seemingly disparate natural factors can align to create a thing of beauty.

Refraction of the sun's light, influenced by curvature of the Earth, particulates present in the troposphere at the time, and boundary layer winds, can produce an unusual red sky at morning or the more well-known red sky at night

So should sailors (and the rest of us) "take warning" ? A sky such as this should suggest storm weather ahead, correct? Not always so. Advisor and Meteorologist Mike Mogil of How The Weatherworks explored the science of this phenomenon earlier in an Examiner.com article when influence from Tropical Storm Lee on south Florida's weather gave rise to the noticeable "red sky" on a different occasion but under similar west wind conditions.

"Typically, in a tropical easterly wind regime, the expression would portend nice weather (clouds and rain moving off to the west). But, thanks to Tropical Storm Lee’s circulation, we are really embedded in a more middle-latitude, west wind pattern. So, “red sky in the morning, sailor (and others) take warning,” is our watchword."

In Maryland and across much of the Eastern United States, a westerly wind regime is observed today courtesy of return flow on backside of the high pressure system as noted on this NOAA Surface Analysis map. A warm front is also edging across the I-95 corridor. As noted by the hourly observations record at Baltimore-Washington Airport, it is possible the combination of early morning west-southwest winds at the surface and residual moisture enhanced by passage of an upper level shortwave gave rise to the storm-free red sky. After all, the next hint of storminess for this region may not come until the middle of next week.

So on this Happy Friday, we thought it was essential to share this moment when nature is her most beautiful, and the science behind it most intriguing. Enjoy, and feel welcome post your captures of the Epiphany Sunrise, or any other sunrise you have relished, in our comment section for all to see. Enjoy!

(First posted at 7:30 AM, updated 11:30 AM. Contributors: Advisors Mr. Foot, Mr. Mogil, Mr. Lear and Lead Forecaster Connor M. )

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Sun for the weekend

2012-01-05T16:05:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! The slight breeze that we've seen for much of the day will begin to die down tonight, leaving us with mostly sunny skies and cooler conditions.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	54F	40F	59F
Low temp	24F	26F	-19F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.35"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 2.5 (Medium-Low)
Saturday: 3.3 (Medium-Low)
Sunday: 3.7 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 42F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 40F
Lower Monumental Dam: 39F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Breezy tomorrow

2012-01-04T15:47:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! We have slight chance of showers overnight tonight. Tomorrow we will see decreasing clouds, breezy conditions, and our last day of temperatures above 50.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	50F	40F	62F
Low temp	25F	26F	8F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.32"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 4.7 (Medium-Low)
Friday: 3.6 (Medium-Low)
Saturday: 3.5 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 42F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 40F
Lower Monumental Dam: 39F

Due to technical difficulties there will be no graphics today, but I will give text versions...

Tri-Cities Five Day
Thursday: Decreasing Clouds, Breezy. Low 42, High 52.
Friday: Mostly Sunny. Low 25, High 39.
Saturday: Mostly Sunny. Low 28, High 35.
Sunday: Sunny. Low 28, High 36.
Monday: Isolated Showers, Mostly Cloudy. Low 29, High 39. Chance of precipitation: 20 percent.

Highs Tomorrow
YAKIMA VALLEY
Yakima - 44
Prosser - 51

COLUMBIA BASIN
Othello - 52
Hermiston - 51

FOOTHILLS
Walla Walla - 51
Pendleton - 52
Heppner - 52

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast.

10:20 AM 1/4/12 | While some readers have to deal with the hassle winter weather brings, for Powderhounds it is a cash cow, especially if snow followed by cold. Our Winter Stormcast Team, in collaboration with Forecaster Greg "Winterman" Jackson, is establishing the 2012 "Powderhound Team."

A REPORT FOR SKIERS & RIDERS: Starting with the Mid-Atlantic Winter Stormcast Page,,(on facebook), we will begin providing all our snowsports readers with direct forecasting for many of their favorite ski resorts (and ours!) Our team is passionate about more than just snow forecasting...we play in it also. Like many riders out there, we're always on the hunt for the freshest pow. Yesterday's rage against the Lake Effect machine made for winning snow at Seven Springs, Snowshoe and Wisp.

"WEDNESDAYS & THE WEEKEND" If you are yearning for our take on where to go for the best snow...check back later today for this new weekly feature on our page. The report, to be posted each Wednesday, will feature a weekly roundup of current resort conditions, latest snowfall, and where you might want to shred in the weekend ahead. As always, your feedback is welcome on how to stoke up this report to benefit you, your ski group or your resort.

PAYBACKS ARE COMING: You know the winter pattern will start turning toward storm potential, so we hope you'll "stay in the know with all things snow" and stick with our Winter Stormcast Team. Riders, start waxing!

(Forecasters Winterman, Foot and the 2012 FF Powderhound Team)

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Sunshine this weekend...

2012-01-03T15:12:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! Now that I am back in the Tri-Cities I can now resume regular updates!

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	39F	40F	58F
Low temp	19F	26F	10F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.66"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 1.8 (Low)
Thursday: 6.2 (Medium)
Friday: 3.9 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 42F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 40F
Lower Monumental Dam: 39F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

If you have any questions or comments, email me at mark.ingalls@footsforecast.org or post on our Facebook wall.

30 Dec 11 Evening Update

2011-12-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

29 Dec 11 Evening Update

2011-12-29T19:56:00.000-08:00

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Looks to be a bit breezy out there...

2011-12-28T14:15:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! Just so you know, I will be out of town for the next few days so posts may not come every day and if they do they will probably be just the forecast graphics as I will likely be busy.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	56F	39F	57F
Low temp	37F	26F	-4F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.47"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 1.3 (Low)
Friday: 4.2 (Medium-Low)
Saturday: 5.5 (Medium)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 41F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 40F
Lower Monumental Dam: 39F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

If you have any questions or comments, email me at mark.ingalls@footsforecast.org or post on our Facebook wall.

Break out the rain boots!

2011-12-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! For all of my readers outside of the Tri-Cities in places like Walla Walla, Pendleton, and Prosser, below my 5-day forecast graphic for the Tri-Cities you will see a weather map giving tomorrow's forecasted high for selected cities across the area including Walla Walla, Pendleton, Prosser, Hermiston, Othello, Heppner, and Yakima.

Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	47F	39F	52F
Low temp	37F	25F	7F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.40"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 0.2 (Low)
Thursday: 1.9 (Low)
Friday: 3.7 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 41F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 40F
Lower Monumental Dam: 39F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

If you have any questions or comments, email me at mark.ingalls@footsforecast.org or post on our Facebook wall.

Tut tut, it looks like rain

2011-12-26T18:19:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! I am only posting a 5-day forecast once again because I am going to try to get a podcast started...

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T13:40:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! I will be only posting the 5-day forecast today so I can continue spending time with my family.

On behalf of myself along with my affiliates, the Maryland Weather Center and Foot's Forecast, have a happy and blessed holiday.

Increased clouds Friday and Saturday

2011-12-21T11:45:00.000-08:00

Good morning/afternoon! I'm updating way early today because my school got out at 10:30.

We had a small chinook come through last night. It lasted less than an hour and rose temperatures from 30 to 40. Quickly after the winds died down, however, temperatures dropped once again.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	36F	39F	64F
Low temp	21F	26F	0F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.42"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 0.3 (Low)
Friday: 0.1 (Low)
Saturday: 0.5 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 43F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 41F
Lower Monumental Dam: 42F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Sunny... with chilly temperatures

2011-12-20T16:22:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! We have a slight chance of snow overnight tonight, but following that it looks like smooth sailing through Christmas. As a side note, Happy Hanukkah to all the Jews who read my weather updates! For those of you who don't know, Hanukkah starts tonight at sundown.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	33F	39F	56F
Low temp	30F	26F	3F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.50"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 0.3 (Low)
Thursday: 0.2 (Low)
Friday: 1.9 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 43F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 41F
Lower Monumental Dam: 42F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

I hope you're not dreaming of a White Christmas...

2011-12-19T15:45:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! A massive blizzard is underway in the Southern Plains States that is greatly impacting travel. In fact, US 87 (a major thoroughfare between Texas and points northwest) has been closed in Clayton, NM. Hotels were full there by noon our time and travelers were being urged to get hotel rooms in Amarillo, two and a half hours southeast. Now that highway is closed AT Amarillo.

Here we won't see such craziness, maybe a slight chance of snow Tuesday night.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	34F	39F	55F
Low temp	30F	26F	5F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.35"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday: 0.2 (Low)
Wednesday: 0.2 (Low)
Thursday: 0.7 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 43F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 41F
Lower Monumental Dam: 42F

There is an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, N Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

Dreary weather continues...

2011-12-16T16:57:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! It looks like that high pressure system is back in place, which means more of the same weather for a while.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	38F	39F	60F
Low temp	27F	26F	3F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.30"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Saturday: 0.3 (Low)
Sunday: 1.5 (Low)
Monday: 1.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 43F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 41F
Lower Monumental Dam: 42F

There is an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, N Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

Back to the same boring stuff

2011-12-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! Well, after seeing a dusting of snow here in the Tri-Cities it looks like we're pretty much done with that for now. We'll see a continuance of the boring and cold inversion that we've seen for the past two and a half weeks.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	33F	40F	64F
Low temp	19F	26F	23F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.79"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 0.3 (Low)
Saturday: 0.9 (Low)
Sunday: 0.9 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 44F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 43F
Lower Monumental Dam: 43F

There is an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, N Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

Snow; freezing rain possible tonight

2011-12-14T15:54:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! It looks like the a system is beginning to push ashore bringing a chance of snow showers overnight tonight. The earliest I would expect it to start is around 10 PM with the highest snow totals only being about two inches.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	31F	40F	60F
Low temp	26F	26F	20F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.28"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 0.3 (Low)
Friday: 0.2 (Low)
Saturday: 0.2 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 44F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 43F
Lower Monumental Dam: 43F

There is an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, N Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

Snow showers, followed by more of the same

2011-12-13T16:01:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! It appears that we have one last day of inversion before a low pressure system brings a chance of snow showers...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	30F	40F	60F
Low temp	25F	26F	9F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.85"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 0.3 (Low)
Thursday: 0.2 (Low)
Friday: 0.3 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 44F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 43F
Lower Monumental Dam: 43F

There is an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, N Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

Chance of snow continues...

2011-12-12T15:48:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! That's right, I'm keeping in the forecast a chance of snow with the low pressure system that is supposed to push through Thursday. At this time I'm not expecting a substantial amount of snow, but it wouldn't surprise me to see a few flakes.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	27F	40F	61F
Low temp	24F	27F	0F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.57"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday: 0.3 (Low)
Wednesday: 0.3 (Low)
Thursday: 0.2 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 44F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 43F
Lower Monumental Dam: 43F

There is an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, N Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

Chance of snow showers this week!

2011-12-11T16:54:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! It looks like there is some light at the end of the tunnel with this dreary foggy weather. Wednesday a weak low pressure system will push into the Pacific Northwest bringing a chance of snow showers, more than just flurries, Wednesday Night through Thursday Night.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	26F	40F	65F
Low temp	23F	27F	-2F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.49"
Snowfall	Trace	--	--

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Monday: 0.3 (Low)
Tuesday: 0.1 (Low)
Wednesday: 0.9 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 46F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 44F
Lower Monumental Dam: 44F

There is an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, N Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

Fog, cold, maybe some flurries

2011-12-08T15:40:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! So I'm going to start off by saying that in the forecast graphic below, I'm going to put flurries as the conditions because I don't have a fog graphic and it wouldn't surprise me to see occasional flurries much like today. Also, if its not foggy it should be sunny. Remember to drive carefully.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	38F	41F	52F
Low temp	15F	28F	2F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.60"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 0.3 (Low)
Saturday: 0.3 (Low)
Sunday: 0.8 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 46F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 44F
Lower Monumental Dam: 44F

There is a Freezing Fog Advisory for Benton, Franklin, W Walla Walla, NW Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.
There is an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, N Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

I am unsure whether I will be able to update Friday through Sunday.

Possible change to the weather pattern Sunday

2011-12-07T14:38:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! It looks like a weak low pressure system will infiltrate the already in-place strong ridge of high pressure that has dominated our weather for the past week and a half. This change will come Sunday, bringing a chance of showers to the passes and increased clouds to the Columbia Basin. For tomorrow, though, we will see much of the same as today except the thick morning fog which, at least when I was driving down Clearwater this morning, was about 100 feet.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	42F	41F	58F
Low temp	18F	28F	18F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.65"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 0.3 (Low)
Friday: 0.1 (Low)
Saturday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 48F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 47F
Lower Monumental Dam: 46F

There is an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, NW Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

Morning fog, afternoon sun

2011-12-06T15:38:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! It was mighty foggy in Kennewick this morning with visibility down to about 200 or 300 feet but after about 10 it burned off. We'll see much of the same tonight as temperatures once again drop below the few point.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	42F	42F	56F
Low temp	18F	28F	11F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.44"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 0.3 (Low)
Thursday: 0.1 (Low)
Friday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 48F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 47F
Lower Monumental Dam: 46F

And now a look across the nation from Foot's Forecast:

7:30 AM EST 12/6/11 Increasing probability of an early season snowstorm in portions of the Mid-Atlantic by midweek have Powderhounds and students rejoicing, teachers yearning for "just one day" and Emergency Managers hoping it'll all "just go away." Our Winter Stormcast Team, having conducted a wide-ranging collaboration last night and this morning, will be posting the latest details on this page and in the Winter Stormcast tab. Those able to appropriately access Facebook know our reports are also available at the Mid-Atlantic Winter Stormcast Zone. (Lead Forecasters Mike Natoli, Connor Meehan and Advisor Mr. Foot)

There is an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, NW Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

It's quite cold outside...

2011-12-05T15:32:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! We only hit about 40 degrees today under mostly sunny skies here at my house. It will continue to be cold and sunny through the week...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	44F	42F	66F
Low temp	18F	28F	12F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.50"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday: 0.1 (Low)
Wednesday: 0.1 (Low)
Thursday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 48F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 47F
Lower Monumental Dam: 46F

And now a look across the nation from Foot's Forecast

8:30 AM EST 12/5/11 | On this stormy, foggy first Monday in December, it is becoming clear the nation will be entering a period of diverse and highly variable weather. The roof-ripping Santa Ana winds continue in California, while the threat of significant snow has nearly covered New Mexico with Winter Storm Warnings. Back east, Flood Warnings blanket the Ohio Valley, which may be replaced by cold weather and wind chill advisories by late week.

There is an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, NW Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

Sun to continue, but it'll remain quite chilly

2011-12-04T14:27:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! As the high pressure system off the west coast is forecasted to stay in place, we will keep sunny skies and cool temperatures here in the Columbia Basin as it pushes all the storms into central British Columbia and down into Montana.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	49F	42F	67F
Low temp	16F	28F	17F (Old)
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.22"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Monday: 0.1 (Low)
Tuesday: 0.1 (Low)
Wednesday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 48F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 47F
Lower Monumental Dam: 46F

There is an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, NW Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

I hope you enjoy sunshine

2011-12-02T15:33:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! That high pressure system continues to sit off the west coast, so sunny skies will continue but it wouldn't surprise me to see fog it the morning hours.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	49F	43F	52F
Low temp	17F	29F	12F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.73"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Saturday: 0.1 (Low)
Sunday: 0.1 (Low)
Monday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: 48F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 47F
Lower Monumental Dam: 46F

There is an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, NW Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

What do Air Stagnation Advisories mean?

2011-12-01T15:37:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! There is an Air Stagnatation Advisory in effect for lowland areas of my forecast area, but what does it mean?

Air Stagnation Advisories:
What's happening?
Stagnatation means that the air is not moving and this is caused by a high pressure system blocking any other influences to our weather. After a little while, as cold air sinks, it gets colder in the valleys and generally remains that way until the high pressure moves out. With a very slight downhill breeze, it will not allow pollutants like smog and smoke to escape. Sometimes, if it is humid enough, dense fog will settle into lowland areas for a prolonged period of time keeping temperatures chilly while going just a few thousand feet into the mountains means seeing sunshine with delightfuly warm temperatures.

Why should I care?
With increased pollutants in the basins and valleys, young children as well as the elderly and people with respratory problems may become ill. The best way to combat this is to not do strenous activities outdoors.

Now onto local weather...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	52F	43F	60F
Low temp	26F	29F	16F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.44"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 0.1 (Low)
Saturday: 0.1 (Low)
Sunday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: N/A

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 48F
Lower Monumental Dam: 48F

There is an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, NW Umatilla and N Morrow Counties.

Sun and cold...

2011-11-30T15:42:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! With a strong high pressure system in play we'll keep chilly temperatures trapped in the Columbia Basin. Highs will remain in the mid 30s to lower 40s through the weekend and we may see some fog mix in in a few days.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	43F	44F	64F
Low temp	24F	30F	16F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	N/A

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 0.1 (Low)
Friday: 0.1 (Low)
Saturday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: N/A

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 48F
Lower Monumental Dam: 48F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

6:10 PM EST 11/30/11 | On this last official day of the 2011 "Hurricane Season" our team is shifting into winter weather operations, and preparing for the eventual launch of our new globally scalable website in December. The "Regional Roundup" is an example of how our locally relevant forecasting connects readers and clients right with their local team in one or two clicks. This wide-angle view is an excerpt of today's weather from selected forecast zones across the U.S. To get your state, county or city, maybe it's time to send in that team application or advance that client prospect...before the weather turns again!

Forecaster Mark Ingalls from our Pacific Northwest Zone wrote morning that "Washington, Oregon and southwest British Columbia may see some leftover showers this morning, followed by clearing skies this afternoon. Idaho has a chance of precipitation, with rain mostly expected to be confined to the Snake River Valley. W Montana will see snow today with up to 5 inches (12 cm) expected in Great Falls."

NOAA Water Vapor Image for 11/30
Forecaster Robert from our Southeast Wisconsin Zone projects that: "On this last day of November, and we will be transitioning in to December tomorrow. Our forecast is starting to look like December with two snow chances in the forecast. The first comes Thursday night, with a weak low pressure system. This system should not be a big deal, with only maybe 1/2 inch accumulation. A much stronger system will impact our area this Saturday and Sunday.

Forecaster Jason Isaacs in North Georgia posted in our Metro Atlanta Zone that "after a cold and dreary day with temperatures in the upper 30s area wide, expect the temperatures to drop further tonight. Some drizzle in the metro area and flurries in the mountains tonight. This may lead to some travel issues for the mountains as temperatures under 32 degrees seem to be a possibility for elevations over 1500 feet."

Heading over to the Three Rivers Zone of Metro Pittsburgh, Lead Forecaster Greg Jackson posted this forecast-in-context to what's ahead: "On this last day before meteorological winter begins we are getting a small taste of winter today. Currently we have rain showers around the area, although a wet snowflake or two is also mixing in. We do not expect any snow accumulation. These showers will diminish by noon, and will just leave us with cloudy skies before some clearing begins tomorrow."

From the White Mountains of northern Vermont, we welcome Regional Forecaster Derek Maroot, who joined our team as an Affiliate over the Thanksgiving Holiday. Outside his busy schedule as a pilot, Derek posted this update in our new Winter Stormcast Zone for Northern New England: "An incredibly mild night across the North Country with temperatures actually rising to early morning highs in the upper 50s for most areas across our region. Gusty south winds will continue throughout the morning, colder temperatures are expected to arrive later in the day as a strong surface low lifts from the Adirondack mountains northward into southern Quebec."

So what is next? Big changes are coming, both in the weather and in the forecasting of it on this site. With tomorrow being the first day of Meteorological Winter, we will begin to share news of a special event starting next week that will impact all of us in many positive ways. We call it "Redefining December 5th." For our first readers in Maryland, if you know how and where this website got started, have been a part from the start, and are a powderhound year-round...by this time next week, we think you will be very happy with what we have cooking.

Regional Roundup by Aaron Salter, Director of Team Operations
(Forecaster Foot and the U.S. Team)

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Sunny, but chilly

2011-11-29T15:53:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! After seeing a slight chance of showers overnight tonight, we'll have mostly sunny skies through the weekend.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	52F	44F	63F
Low temp	25F	30F	17F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.33"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 0.7 (Low)
Thursday: 0.1 (Low)
Friday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: N/A

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 48F
Lower Monumental Dam: 48F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

2:30 PM EST 11/29/11 Snow across northern Mississippi and Alabama last night moved into western Tennessee and Kentucky this morning, and is now breaking out along the southern Tri-State area of Illinois, Indiana, and northwestern Kentucky. We last used the headline "Walking in Memphis" after the 1991 song by March Cohn, because on January 28, 2010 the context was a southern winter storm INSIDE the winter season. With several inches of snow on the ground in Memphis earlier today, and schools closed IN NOVEMBER, any walking was probably in bewilderment as to what could be next after this wild year of weather.

To answer that question more thoroughly, our Winter Stormcast Team has completed a multi-state collaboration. We plan to release the final projections for expected seasonal precipitation amounts of rain, snow and ice in selected locations, as well as periods when we anticipate stormy vs. quiet weather. Check our Winter Stormcast Zone on December 1 for the full report.

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Increasing clouds tonight, decreasing clouds Wednesday

2011-11-28T15:45:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! Although we had mostly sunny skies today it was quite chilly, only hitting 53 at my house. Both high and low temperatures will continue to drop throughout the week, ending in the 30s for highs.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	61F	45F	54F (Old)
Low temp	22F	30F	10F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.36"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday: 0.1 (Low)
Wednesday: 1.0 (Low)
Thursday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: N/A

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 48F
Lower Monumental Dam: 48F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

4:45 PM EST 11/28/2011 | SOUTHERN SNOW REPORT | An excerpt from our North Georgia Forecast Team on the pre-winter weather situation developing tonight in northern Mississippi, Alabama, and west Tennessee.

"As of 3:39 PM [EST], moderate to heavy snowfall is being reported in Haleyville, AL. We will continue to monitor this system and update if/when it impacts the Metro Atlanta area."

Additional reports on this system will be posted from our forecasters in the Southeast as the evening progresses. Until then, view the rarity of seeing a NWS Winter Storm Watch for Memphis, Tennessee...in November.

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Sun through Friday

2011-11-27T18:05:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! We have a chance of showers early this evening, followed by decreasing clouds throughout the rest of the night leading into mostly sunny skies for tomorrow and much of the week.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	51F	45F	64F
Low temp	30F	30F	2F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.51"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Monday: 0.1 (Low)
Tuesday: 0.3 (Low)
Wednesday: 0.3 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: N/A

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 48F
Lower Monumental Dam: 48F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Looks like a mostly sunny week ahead...

2011-11-26T17:03:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! It looks like we will see showers tomorrow evening, but after that we have a long stretch of sunshine. Lets take a look...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	53F	45F	68F
Low temp	28F	31F	3F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.62"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Sunday: 0.1 (Low)
Monday: 1.3 (Low)
Tuesday: 0.3 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: N/A

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 48F
Lower Monumental Dam: 48F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Looks like rain Sunday

2011-11-25T12:45:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving! I ate a boat load of food and then took a nap! Now as we recover, it looks like we'll see mostly sunny skies return once again for the beginning of next week, check it out...

Travel Conditions:
Today
Snoqualmie Pass will see snow overnight tonight along with the rest of the major Cascade passes.

Tomorrow
Temperatures will rise tomorrow raising snow levels to about 5700 feet for the afternoon making travel over all Cascade passes just fine.

Sunday
Temperatures will remain high along with snow levels, making most of the precipitation on the Cascade passes just rain.

Winter Travel Preparedness Tips
These, I swiped from the Washington State Department of Transportation:
- Check your tires and make sure your chains fit before the first winter storm and check tire pressure during cold weather. Remember, tire shops and mechanics are busiest just before and during winter storms.
- Get a vehicle winter maintenance check-up. Don’t wait to check your battery, belts, hoses, radiator, lights, brakes, heater/defroster and wipers.
- Keep your fuel tank full — don’t let it fall below half a tank on winter trips.
Program your radio for traffic reports and emergency messages (for WSDOT radio: 530 and 1610 AM).
- Keep a basic winter survival kit in your vehicle: flashlight, batteries, blanket, snacks, water, gloves, boots, first-aid kit.
- Load your car with winter travel gear: tire chains, ice scraper/snowbrush, jumper cables, road flares.

To Check Travel Conditions
- Washington: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/
- Oregon: http://www.tripcheck.org

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	50F	46F	66F
Low temp	27F	31F	-7F
Precipitation	0.02"	--	0.40"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Saturday: 0.6 (Low)
Sunday: 1.5 (Low)
Monday: 2.4 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: N/A
McNary Dam: N/A

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 48F
Lower Monumental Dam: 48F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

11:00 AM EST 11/25/11 | On this relatively quiet Happy Friday, we are thankful the weather has taken a break in most parts of the country, but not for long. A strong cold front is beginning to sweep east as evidenced by High Wind Watches in the Central Plains. For those in West, Great Lakes and East Coast, the trip home by Sunday should be free of weather concerns thanks to two high pressure systems sandwiching the front in the countrys mid-section. Travelers in the Southern Plains will be the first to deal with the impact of this cold front as it moves east. The 5-day Precip Forecast from NOAA (right corner), suggest that in the Monday-Wednesday period, copious moisture transport from the Gulf may spawn potentially flooding rains across a large part of the Eastern U.S. Heavy rain and possible thunderstorms are expected by Monday in the Mid-South, which by Tuesday-Wednesday extends into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

Forecasters Amanda B.
and Randall J. of the Florida Team
While the weather granting a short respite, the U.S. Leadership Team of Foot's Forecast wishes to give thanks to our many loyal readers and team forecasters.. across the country. We appreciate every day that you take time to check in here or on Facebook, trusting us with your local weather from over 25 states. We are thankful for the dedication of our 50+ forecasters that provide a quality service day every day, such as Forecasters Amanda Brioche and Forecaster Randall Hergert from our South Florida Team, as shown above. Amanda is a sophomore in Meteorology at the University of Miami, and Randall is a Meteorologist and 2010 graduate from Florida International University, from St. Petersburg. You can see daily evidence of their passion in our South Florida & The Keys page on Facebook.

We wish all our readers and their families a peaceful Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and high hopes your trip home will be uneventful. Thank you for choosing Foot's Forecast to be your go-to place for local weather from a team we trust every day.

(CEO and Lead Advisor Mr. Foot; Advisors Keith Krichinsky, Brad Lear and Dr. Pete Winstead)

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Looks to be windy tonight...

2011-11-22T15:24:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! Right now (3:23 PM) at my house it is a unseasonable 64 degrees! Don't expect it to last much longer, however, as winds will die down throughout the day tomorrow therefore allowing afternoon temperatures to drop into the mid 40s by Thanksgiving Day.

Travel Conditions:
Today
All Cascade passes right now are being slammed with tons of snow. Snoqualmie has been closed off and on throughout the day and this is likely to continue overnight tonight. Blue Mountain passes such as Cabbage Hill/Deadman Pass should be just fine.

Tomorrow
Temperatures should be a little warmer, allowing lower passes such as Snoqualmie to receive mostly rain instead of snow. The snow level should be at about 4800 feet. Blue Mountain passes such as Cabbage Hill/Deadman Pass should be just fine.

Winter Travel Preparedness Tips
These, I swiped from the Washington State Department of Transportation:
- Check your tires and make sure your chains fit before the first winter storm and check tire pressure during cold weather. Remember, tire shops and mechanics are busiest just before and during winter storms.
- Get a vehicle winter maintenance check-up. Don’t wait to check your battery, belts, hoses, radiator, lights, brakes, heater/defroster and wipers.
- Keep your fuel tank full — don’t let it fall below half a tank on winter trips.
Program your radio for traffic reports and emergency messages (for WSDOT radio: 530 and 1610 AM).
- Keep a basic winter survival kit in your vehicle: flashlight, batteries, blanket, snacks, water, gloves, boots, first-aid kit.
- Load your car with winter travel gear: tire chains, ice scraper/snowbrush, jumper cables, road flares.

To Check Travel Conditions
- Washington: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/
- Oregon: http://www.tripcheck.org

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	47F	47F	58F
Low temp	27F	31F	20F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.22"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 1.3 (Low)
Thursday: 2.9 (Medium-Low)
Friday: 3.3 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 51F
Lower Monumental Dam: 50F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

9:15 AM EST 11/22/2011 | THANKSGIVING WEATHER REPORT | Below are excerpts of an article posted on Examiner.com by Meteorologist and Team Advisor H. Michael Mogil.
"For the past two weeks, computer forecast models have been indicating an East Coast storm on or just before Thanksgiving Day 2011. The models have oscillated on the placement and strength of the expected storm. The models have also indicated a very stormy period for the Pacific Northwest.
Now, as we head into the Thanksgiving Day weekend, both significant weather events are taking shape." For the millions in motion on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, plan ahead now for what will be a tricky time just getting TO the turkey. Leave as early as you can, pack extra patience.
FOR A LOCAL VIEW IN YOUR AREA, you can quickly locate our local team forecasters in facebook by clicking the "Find Your Forecast" tab above or via this link.

SYNOPSIS: (Derived from Mr. Mogil's article) Thanksgiving Day travel will be impacted by two storms reaching different parts of the country.

Storm # 1 arrived on the southern California coast Monday, is heading through the Southern Plains today on a path to New York City by Wednesday. This storm will deliver copious precipitation up to 2 inches over a large area of the Mid-South to the Mid-Atlantic as it intensifies heading northeast. South of the low pressure center, the severe weather threat could include tornadoes in the Carolinas. In New England, as shown in the NWS Forecast Map above, heavy snow is likely from Vermont to Maine.

Storm # 2 now reaching the Pacific Northwest will spread strong winds, heavy coastal rain up to 4 inches and inland mountain snows of several feet along a huge swath of the Coast Ranges from central California northward into British Columbia. THE FULL ARTICLE is available on Examiner.com (Lead Advisor Mr. Foot)

There is a High Wind Warning for Benton, Franklin, and western Walla Walla Counties.
There is a High Wind Warning for central Morrow County.
There is a Wind Advisory in effect for northern Morrow, northern Umatilla, and eastern Walla Walla Counties.

The Pineapple Express!

2011-11-21T15:36:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! A series of low pressure systems will work through the area this week bringing with them warmer temperatures. So warm, in fact, that overnight our temperature is expected to raise from 39 to about 45 by 3 AM! How can the temperature raise this much when its dark? Its a phenomenon called the Pineapple Express.

The Pineapple Express
What is it?
The Pineapple Express is when the jet stream lines up in such a fashion where it brings in storm systems from Hawaii (hence the name 'Pineapple'). Being from the tropics instead of the Gulf of Alaska (where last weekend's snow came from) these low pressure systems generally raise our temperatures, instead of lowering them, bringing rain instead of snow usually. Since the tropics have a pretty unstable weather pattern, many low pressure systems form and then move up the jet stream toward the Pacific Northwest. These low pressure systems are so frequent, in fact, that even here in the rain shadow of the Cascades we have a chance of rain through much of the week.

How does it form?
The Pineapple Express begins to form up to two weeks before the barrage of storms when typically a high pressure system will be in place over the Gulf of Alaska along with heavy rain showers over the far western Pacific. Within a few days the heavy rain showers will push further east and the ridge of high pressure will split the jet stream in two, sending one over central Alaska, and the other into the Pacific Northwest. Eventually the northern jet loses its strength and all the wind is pushed into the southern one which in turn brings the series of tropical showers into our region.

What are it's effects?
* Raises snow levels, making travel over lower passes like Snoqualmie easier
* Flooding on the west side of the Cascades
* Causes 'Chinook's' east of the Rockies

And now onto local weather...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	33F	48F	62F
Low temp	21F	32F	21F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.85"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday: 0.3 (Low)
Wednesday: 3.4 (Medium-Low)
Thursday: 1.9 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 51F
Lower Monumental Dam: 50F

There is a Wind Advisory in effect for central Morrow, central Umatilla, and central Walla Walla counties until 4 PM Wednesday.

Chance of showers through the week

2011-11-20T14:26:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! We still have some leftover snow from across the Columbia Basin from yesterday. Thank you to everyone who sent in their pictures, they are already on my Facebook page, Tri-Cities Weather. Below the Precipitation count is the water equivalent.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	33F	48F	64F
Low temp	23F	32F	18F
Precipitation	0.06"	--	1.33"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Monday: 0.3 (Low)
Tuesday: 1.7 (Low)
Wednesday: 1.8 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 51F
Lower Monumental Dam: 50F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

November 2011 Pictures

2011-11-19T07:24:00.001-08:00

As the first snowfall came around, I got a few pictures from various places. Be sure to send yours into weather.ingalls@gmail.com!

The above were sent in by Oscar Ingalls of Finley on his commute to Hermiston. These were taken on I-82 between Kennewick and Coffin Road.

Chance of snow overnight tonight and into tomorrow...

2011-11-18T18:02:00.001-08:00

Good evening! Tonight is our best chance to see snow here in the Tri-Cities at 40%. Over in Walla Walla and Pendleton its 50%, so I would only expect flurries tonight in the lowlands...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	51F	49F	66F
Low temp	31F	32F	24F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.51"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Saturday: 0.3 (Low)
Sunday: 0.1 (Low)
Monday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 51F
Lower Monumental Dam: 50F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Snow chances continue

2011-11-17T15:58:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! We're coming up on the weekend, and with that we see a chance of snow. Even though chances have lessened a little bit, I am still hopeful for at least some because I very much like snow.

Accumulations:
Areas across the Columbia Basin shouldn't expect much in the way of accumulations. Walla Walla and Pendleton could see up to an inch, otherwise the majority of the snow will be found in small snowstorms that may drop up to two inches. I don't expect this to last long, however, because temperatures should remain above freezing during the day.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	36F	50F	62F
Low temp	18F	33F	19F Old
Precipitation	0.03"	--	0.43"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 0.3 (Low)
Saturday: 0.1 (Low)
Sunday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 51F
Lower Monumental Dam: 50F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast.

9:40 AM EST 11/17/11
SEVERE OUTBREAK & NEXT STORM The surprisingly strong and widespread severe weather outbreak in the Southeast from 11/16-17 yielded the following preliminary reports from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center: 25 tornadoes, 87 reports of winds of 65 knots or higher and 9 reports of hail of 2" in diameter or larger.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? As reported in our Winter Stormcast Zone, the Forecast Team is continuing to target the period from November 25 to December 5 as the next time frame for a significant winter storm in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. This storm may be preceded by an equally widespread snow event for the Upper Great Lakes by early to middle of next week. In full disclosure, we have been targeting that time period now since late September and established the specific data ranges on October 22.

OUR RATIONALE? Based on an evolution of the overall long range pattern, we have been tracking and analyzing what appears to be a general 30-45 day cycle of major events in the Eastern U.S. An influencing factor in this trend has been changes in atmospheric teleconnections such as the North Atlantic Oscillation and the Arctic Oscillation, among others. In September and October, we projected a mid-November warmup would occur along the East coast, followed by a cold front that would bisect from west to east, with a sharply colder air mass behind it.

SO THE NEXT STORM IS... Now long range computer models are beginning to hint at one or more coastal storms along the Mid-Atlantic starting by next Wednesday, and repeating into early December, in addition to a possible major storm in the Western Great Lakes. While it is too early to tell if these storms will turn out as rain or snow, if you are looking for a front-row seat to a continuation of the wild weather pattern...you got it. As Bill Paxton from the 1996 film Twister said, "Tighten your seat belt."

(Forecaster Foot and the Long Range Team)

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Snow not expected to last

2011-11-16T14:49:00.001-08:00

It was great to see the snow this afternoon, however dont expect it to last, in fact many areas have already seen it switch over to freezing rain.

So what's the deal?
A warm front is pushing through the Pacific Northwest as we speak raising snow levels and melting what little snow we got in that hour or so that we saw it. This warm front will warm temperatures to just shy of 40 overnight tonight.

Want more?
Sweet, I do too. It looks like we have another chance of snow tomorrow night through Saturday. It doesnt look like we'll get much out of it, but keep in mind that the average first snowfall is December 27.

Winds
As is the norm after we get storms like these, tomorrow looks like it will be breezy. Winds on the west side are being reported to be around 50 MPH (Issaquah). It doesn't look like winds will be quite that strong here, but don't be surprised to see gusts as high as 30 MPH, especially outside of town.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	51F	50F	68F
Low temp	18F	33F	21F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.40"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 0.3 (Low)
Friday: 0.1 (Low)
Saturday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 54F
Lower Monumental Dam: 53F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

12:40 PM EST 11/16/11 An overview of today's wild weather as posted in our Stormcast Zone: An early-season Winter Storm in the Pacific Northwest, Tornadoes in the Southeast; and rising risk of severe weather in the Mid-Atlantic. If you experience significant weather today in your region, feel welcome to post your observations or pictures in our comment section or in the local zone for your area. As always, remain alert to changing conditions and monitor official NWS advisories, watches and warnings.

SOUTHEAST Recap of Severe Weather Risks for today | .Tornado Watches and Warnings continue across Alabama and into Northern Georgia until 6:45 PM CST today. For the latest Public Advisory on this Severe Weather event, please visit the NOAA Storm Prediction Center or the current Tornado Watch in effect for the region.

Multiple Tornado Warnings are in motion across Alabama and are expected to continue into the afternoon. Latest watches and warnings posted in our Southeast Severe Weather page.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Forecaster Mark Ingalls has the latest on Winter Storm warnings and advisories in the Cascades and surrounding areas as posted our Pacific Northwest Page. A large portion of central and northern Washington state is expecting 6-12" today into tonight, with hazardous driving conditions east into Idaho.

MID-ATLANTIC The primary threats in our area will be occasional strong to severe storms, with possible rotation in an isolated cell or two. Some small hail may be embedded within stronger storms developing along the front.

Timing of these storms is expected in the mid-afternoon hours, with the eastern Mid-Atlantic across to the Delmarva and Southern Virginia likely to see impacts in the early evening.

Regional statements will be posted in our Foot's Forecast | Mid-Atlantic: Severe Weather page as conditions warrant. View he latest regional NWS radar loop.

CAROLINAS For a look at what our in-state teams are calling for in the Carolinas, you can visit our local forecast pages in facebook*, including the Charlotte & Metrolina Zone by Forecaster Christy, our Cape Fear & The Coast Zone by Forecaster Ross, or our newly launching Research Triangle Zone by Forecaster Scirico.

* Note to those in public & private schools: A professional web developer company is closing in on completion of our new website which will soon eliminate the issue of having forecasts posted to ONLY facebook. Content will be equally published on this site and in facebook simultaneously.

(Forecasters Foot, Jason M., and Josh O.)

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Rain tomorrow

2011-11-15T15:27:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! It looks like snow might work into the Horse Heaven Hills and Blue Mountains tomorrow especially above 1500 feet in elevation. Here in the Columbia Basin it should mostly be rain. If you do receive snow, however, email your pictures and reports to weather.ingalls@gmail.com or upload them to my Facebook page, Tri-Cities Weather. There is also still a chance of rain and snow for this weekend...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	60F	51F	68F
Low temp	31F	33F	19F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.53"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 0.3 (Low)
Thursday: 2.4 (Low)
Friday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 54F
Lower Monumental Dam: 53F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

11;00 AM EST 11/15/11 | Updated Team Statement | With much of the Mid-Atlantic experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures yesterday and today, our Severe Weather Team collaborated Monday night on potential stormy weather for portions of this region. Severe Weather occured last night in portions of Ohio, as recorded by Forecaster Jason Warren of our Northeast Ohio Zone, who observed small hail in a thunderstorm in that zone.

CURRENT SITUATION: A cold front draped from the Ohio Valley to the Southeast will slowly track east along the Appalachians today into Wednesday. Low pressure will develop along over the Appalachians during this time. A warm front should extend eastward from the low over Virginia. Along and south of this front is where we expect the chance for a few strong to severe storms from late this afternoon into Wednesday afternoon hours.
NOAA Storm Prediction Center Outlook: Tue and Wed

A VIEW FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS: Please visit our Affiliate Forecast Team ConvectiveWeather for a local view on the situation affecting the Southern States.

HAZARD OVERVIEW
Threat area: From southern Virginia southward into central and eastern North Carolina.
Impacts: High winds, small hail and possibly an isolated tornado will be the main threats from any strong to severe storms that develop.
Timing: Wednesday 11/16 from the mid-morning hours into the evening.
NON-SEVERE RISKS
Risks: Non-severe thunderstorms will be possible north of this area from central Virginia to Southern Maryland to the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Timing: Wednesday morning to the early evening hours.
Impacts: Moderate to heavy rainfall can also be expected over much of the Mid Atlantic, and rainfall amounts should reach one inch for most areas.
Severe weather is not expected in these areas, however strong winds aloft may be able to mix down wind gusts of 35-45 mph in any thunderstorms that roll through these areas.
(Author: Forecaster Jason M. Collaborators: Forecasters Greg J., Josh O. Daniel Ross, Mr. Foot)

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Snow for the weekend?

2011-11-14T16:25:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! It looks like we'll see mostly sunny skies for tomorrow with much lighter winds as compared to today, however rain will come on Wednesday.

SNOW:
Yes, you read that headline right, weather models are indicating that the chances for snow this weekend are rising, especially for Walla Walla and Pendleton as a vigorous cold front is expected to move through the Pacific Northwest on Thursday. Keep in mind that this is in no way me promising snow yet, but I am cautiously hopeful.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	58F	51F	78F
Low temp	41F	33F	23F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.30"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday: 1.5 (Low)
Wednesday: 0.5 (Low)
Thursday: 3.3 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 54F
Lower Monumental Dam: 53F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

10:30 PM EST 11/13/11 | As we head into the last full workweek before the unofficial "Holiday kickoff" that is Thanksgiving Week, severe weather concerns are rising in the Ohio Valley and portions of Texas, Our multi-state Severe Weather Team collaborated Sunday evening on the storm potential, and filed this report by Lead Forecaster Greg Jackson of the Three Rivers Team in Pittsburgh.

RISK AREA # 1: SOUTHERN TEXAS: The NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has denoted this area with a slight risk for severe storms late Monday-early Tuesday. Our team believes the main threat is damaging winds and strong-severe storms. There is a possibility of some small hail in the severe storms, and the chance of an isolated tornado. This concerns our team because of the timing. We urge all citizens to stay alert through the night, but not lose sleep. Have a flashlight ready and if you wake up hearing a storm rolling through get out of bed to check your local news station for any severe weather alert.

For a local view on storm possibilities in the Southern Plains, please visit our Affiliate ConvectiveWeather.

RISK AREA # 2: OHIO VALLEY The SPC has also given the Ohio Valley a slight risk for storms. The timing looks to be Monday afternoon into the early evening hours. Strong advection looks to create a destabilized boundary and create the potential for strong to severe storms. Damaging winds will be the main threat along with the storms, but isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out. There is also a slight chance for small hail. We expect the unsettled weather to be out of the area by 9pm, but until then stay tuned to your local NWS forecasts for any official statements, watches or warnings.

For a local view on storm development in this area, please visit our Ohio Valley Severe Weather page in Facebook.

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

The 'S' word...

2011-11-13T16:51:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! For those of you who don't know, the 'S' word is snow, and the National Weather Service is beginning to use it for next weekend. I'm not ruling out a chance of the 'S' word, but I'm kinda skeptical...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	50F	52F	77F
Low temp	34F	33F	20F
Precipitation	0.03"	--	0.48"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Monday: 2.6 (Medium-Low)
Tuesday: 0.8 (Low)
Wednesday: 1.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 54F
Lower Monumental Dam: 53F

There is a Wind Advisory in effect for N Morrow and NW Umatilla Counties until 7 this evening.

Thank you veterans!

2011-11-11T17:09:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! I hope everyone enjoyed their Veterans Day. Before I get into the weather I'd like to send a special thanks to everyone who has served in the military or is currently serving in the military. Y'all are amazing! Now onto the weather...

There was a thick fog bank that formed over the Tri-Cities this morning dropping visibility to about 300 feet or less in some areas, however if you went up Reata Rd outside of Kennewick the visibility rose dramatically, and at the intersection of I-82 and I-182 outside of Richland it was sunny along with Walla Walla. What can we expect tonight and over the next few days? Lets take a look...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	50F	53F	72F
Low temp	23F	34F	24F (Old)
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.32"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Saturday: 1.3 (Low)
Sunday: 2.2 (Low)
Monday: 2.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 54F
Lower Monumental Dam: 53F

There is a Wind Advisory in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, N Umatilla, and N Morrow Counties until 1 AM PST Saturday.

I hope you like the clouds

2011-11-10T15:12:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! I hope you enjoyed the mostly sunny skies today because they won't last through the weekend...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	55F	53F	70F
Low temp	27F	34F	22F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.42"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 1.6 (Low)
Saturday: 2.2 (Low)
Sunday: 2.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 57F
Lower Monumental Dam: 56F

And now the DL on that massive storm that hit western Alaska from Foot's Forecast:

12:15 PM EST 11/10/11 HISTORIC ALASKA STORM TO IMPACT LONG RANGE PATTERNS? While many in the Meteorological community know the Gulf of Alaska is a breeding ground for major coastal storms, few people alive today can remember a time when hurricane-force driven snow struck our northernmost state with such ferocity. Our team has posted on the subject today because we were searching for a reasonable scientific overview from others on why this storm occurred. We wanted to provide a basis for answering two core questions we know many of our readers (and our own members) might be asking:
WHAT caused the Alaska storm to be so extreme?
WHEN is the next major event?
HOW could this storm affect the winter pattern?
SYNOPSIS: Our Winter Stormcast and Long Range Teams believe the Alaska storm is another step in the "early Winter" pattern which has been evolving in the U.S. since Hurricane Irene. We anticipate a continuation of the severity and frequency of "billion dollar" high impact events in the U.S. for the winter ahead. In 2011, fourteen events have caused over $1 billion in reported damages, per event. We project the next significant to major snow event in the Eastern U.S. for the November 25 to December 5 time period. This event, if snowfall may resemble the outcome of the October 29-30, 2011 storm.

What caused the Alaska storm to be so extreme?

OUR SHORT ANSWER: The November 2011 Alaskan Blizzard could have resulted from long term changes in the Nino-Nina pattern, as well as above normal sea surface temperatures.
Our early hypothesis is centered on the possible global "unraveling" of energy changes in the atmosphere due to wild swings in the El Nino-La Nina pattern since Fall 2009. We combine that possible instability in the overall upper level flow with the observation that sea surface temperatures in Polar regions have been warming at a much faster rate than most other regions of the world.

NOAA visible imagery of the blizzard
approaching Alaska on 11/8/11
Rationale: A customizable NOAA animation of how Global Sea Surface Temperatures have changed just from November 2010 to November 2011. The NOAA Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Anomaly map shown above indicates the area over which the Gulf of Alaska storm formed, prior to being designated a "blizzard," has reported SST's between 1.5 and 3.5 degrees Celsius above normal. That area of water, currently ranging in the low 50's F, would be considered relatively "cold" by most people. However, the SST charts show the surface water temps in that region are running at least 2.7 to 6.3 degrees F above normal. Not a big difference? If you were able to bask in 70 F degree water at Ocean City, MD on Halloween, we think you would notice the water was not the normal 59-65 degree range expected that time of year.
A scientist's view: We offer this excerpt from an 11/08/11 article in Our Amazing Planet, in which Meteorologist Jim Brader from the NWS Fairbanks, AK Office stated,
"Something that's kind of unusual in this case is that all of our computer models were in agreement of this being an extremely strong storm."
The storm is the product of warm air in the Pacific Ocean tapping into the cold air off Siberia, picking up speed in a jet stream near there and then intensifying as it moved into the Bering Sea – "a place where storms typically intensify," Brader told OurAmazingPlanet.
The weird storm has an unusually long fetch length, which is the length of the wind blowing in a single direction over water. In this case it's maybe 1,000 miles (1,600 km), Brader said.

When is the next major event?

OUR SHORT ANSWER: The Winter Stormcast and Long Range Teams still anticipate significant winter weather in the Eastern United States between November 25 and December 5. We follow the NWS definition of a significant snow as producing 4 or more inches.
For comparison: Our team's criteria for a storm to be a "significant event" for the snowfall amount and resulting disruption to affect at least one metropolitan area. Although NOAA's Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS) only ranks the October 29-30 event as a 1.75, it was - and remains an extremely disruptive to tens of millions. As of November 10, 2011 - thousands in New England remain without power due to a storm over 10 days prior. Our internal criteria points to the fact that a large portion of the Northeast U.S. received 4 or more inches of snow, which identifies the storm as having significant potential that falls just under NWS Winter Storm Watch criteria of 5 inches.
For the record: We believe the next snow event to affect the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast will produce a similar impact and accumulations as the October 29-30 storm.

How could this storm affect the winter pattern?

NOAA: Hurricane Irene
August 27, 2011
OUR SHORT ANSWER: We are not surprised to see this storm pattern evolving, as the Alaskan Blizzard is the second strong event of its kind this fall in the Northeast Pacific. We hypothesize a connection in the storm pattern moving forward from the atmospheric influences produced by Hurricane Irene. As such, we believe the East coast will be targeted again within 30 days following the sequence we outlined both in our October 1, 2011 post and our October 22, 2011 post

RATIONALE: We believe the atmosphere has been dropping many clues to the pattern ahead. Consider this sequence of events from August 2011 forward:
Late Aug: Hurricane Irene batters East coast
Early Sep: "Atmospheric rivers" over the Northeast U.S. tap remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, producing widespread flash floods in areas affected by Irene.
Mid-late Sep: Calm period in the East, stormy in the West.
Early Oct: Strongest storm since 2004 strikes Pacific Northwest.
Mid Oct: Calm period for much of the country.
Late Oct: Historic early season snowstorm in the Northeast U.S.
Early Nov: Major snow in Colorado, historic Alaska Blizzard
PROJECTIONS: Based on our expectation of a possible 30-45 day pattern in recent major events across North America, we anticipate the following sequence going forward:
Mid Nov: "Indian Summer" warmup in the East, increased storminess in the West
Late Nov: Significant West to East storm with a strong cold front reaching the East Coast by Thanksgiving Weekend.
Early Dec: Pulses of cold air from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast, resulting in the next significant snow event for this region by December 5.
January: May end up relatively calm and mild for the U.S., similar to January 1990.
If this all plays out, Mother Nature will have given us fair warning. Perhaps hanging the holiday lights early while it is still pleasant might save you the hassle of dealing with in after things turn nasty again...because we believe it is only a matter of time before we all "go into the zone" ahead of the next storm.

(Forecaster Foot, the Winter Stormcast and Long Range Teams)

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Thank you to all the veterans who have served and enjoy your weekend!

Chance of showers for the weekend

2011-11-09T15:51:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! We'll see mostly sunny skies tomorrow with a high just shy of 50 degrees. Clouds will move in Friday, however, followed by a chance of showers that as of right now lasts through the middle portion of next week. I still do not expect any snow, sorry.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	57F	54F	68F
Low temp	26F	34F	21F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.55"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 0.3 (Low)
Friday: 1.4 (Low)
Saturday: 2.5 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 57F
Lower Monumental Dam: 56F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Mostly cloudy tomorrow

2011-11-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! We'll see a weak trough push into the Pacific Northwest overnight tonight bringing us increased clouds tomorrow with I high near 42. Thursday we'll see mostly sunny before another storm system brings us a chance of rain through the weekend. Highs will steadily rise into the lower 50s for Friday.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	51F	55F	69F
Low temp	20F	34F	15F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.36"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 1.5 (Low)
Thursday: 0.6 (Low)
Friday: 1.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 57F
Lower Monumental Dam: 56F

And now a look at some interesting things going on in the tropics from Foot's Forecast:

3:45 PM EST 11/8/11 As reported by Forecaster Jason in our Tropical Zone page on facebook, the 2 PM advisory from the National Hurricane Cetner has redesignated once "Sub-Tropical Storm Sean" into a full tropical system. Since forming earlier today, Sean has transitioned from a subtropical cyclone to one with tropical characteristics, including increased deep convection as shown by the "clouds blobs" in the right front quadrant. View the latest NOAA visible and enhanced satellite imagery loops.

Although near-shore Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect along the Carolina and Virginia coast, primary hazards will be to shipping and cruiseline lanes. For now, Sean ISN'T expected to impact the U.S., save for some rip currents to develop along the Carolina coast in the next 24-48 hours. Maximum sustained winds are still at 45 mph with minimum central pressure of 1002 mb. This storm may strengthen slightly over the next couple days, and as a precaution, the government of Bermuda has hoisted a Tropical Storm Watch for the island.

Now for something completely different...yet similar.
Meet "Rolf" the hybrid tropical cyclone.

We direct you to this link by Dr. Jeff Masters of The Weather Underground for a thought-provoking report on a cyclone which ALSO developed tropical characteristics...in the Mediterranean Sea! Though not a common occurrence due to overall sea surface temperatures below 80 F, tropical storms have formed in the Mediterranean. It IS presenting the classic spiraling signature of a developing cyclone. NOAA's Satellite and Information Service (NESDIS) and the U.S. Navy have designated it 99L and have classified it as a tropical disturbance, based on wind estimates of 40-45 mph. (Forecasters Jason M. and Mr. Foot)

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Sun for much of the week

2011-11-07T15:47:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! One of my friends let me know via Facebook that she saw some flurries yesterday near the intersection of Interstate 82 and Badger Rd in Kennewick. She told me that it didn't stick, but it is pretty exciting. I wouldn't expect much in the way of snow at least for the next week.

This morning was VERY foggy for some areas, including the Blue Bridge where on the Washington State Department of Transportation's (WSDOT) camera there, you couldn't even see the bridge. This cleared out by 9 AM however, leaving us with mostly cloudy skies.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	48F	55F	72F
Low temp	23F	34F	12F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.20"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Monday: 0.3 (Low)
Tuesday: 0.8 (Low)
Wednesday: 0.6 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 57F
Lower Monumental Dam: 56F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Mostly sunny for much of the week

2011-11-06T14:51:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! A 5.6 earthquake struck 45 miles east of Oklahoma City last night. This earthquake was the largest recorded in state history, and was felt as far away as Wisconsin. It caused a stretch of US Highway 62 to crumble along with some damage to buildings, mainly within a few miles of the epicenter. Locally we haven't experienced such craziness. In fact, we're expecting a long stretch of sun for much of this week.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	50F	56F	61F
Low temp	21F	34F	11F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.56"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Sunday: 0.4 (Low)
Monday: 0.3 (Low)
Tuesday: 0.6 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 57F
Lower Monumental Dam: 56F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Increasing clouds; chance of showers

2011-11-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! Expect mostly sunny skies to continue through the remainder of the afternoon. Tonight, however, clouds will return as a weak trough pushes into the Pacific Northwest bringing a slight chance of showers Sunday.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	53F	57F	67F
Low temp	22F	35F	0F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.35"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Saturday: 0.2 (Low)
Sunday: 0.1 (Low)
Monday: 0.9 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 55F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 57F
Lower Monumental Dam: 56F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Sun for tomorrow

2011-11-03T15:48:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! The cold front that brought us showers today is on its way out. If you take a look to the west you'll already see clearing skies as the sun is already shining in Seattle. Clouds will work back into the area Saturday along with a slight chance of showers.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	53F	57F	70F
Low temp	22F	35F	11F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.22"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 0.4 (Low)
Saturday: 0.5 (Low)
Sunday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 57F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 60F
Lower Monumental Dam: 60F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Chance of showers through the weekend

2011-11-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! A strong cold front is making its way into the Pacific Northwest bringing with it some winter weather for the mountains. Below are the maps from the National Weather Service offices in Seattle (left) and Portland (right) with pink being a Winter Storm Warning and purple a Winter Weather Advisory...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	56F	58F	68F
Low temp	23F	35F	11F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.55"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 1.0 (Low)
Friday: 0.1 (Low)
Saturday: 0.1 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 57F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 60F
Lower Monumental Dam: 60F

There is a Wind Advisory in effect for central Umatilla and Morrow Counties.

Increasing clouds tomorrow

2011-11-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! I hope you're enjoying today's mostly sunny skies because we will begin to see increasing clouds tomorrow.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	62F	58F	69F
Low temp	38F	35F	9F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.70"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 0.5 (Low)
Thursday: 1.1 (Low)
Friday: 0.6 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 57F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 60F
Lower Monumental Dam: 60F

I have been collaborating with Tesmond Hurd from the La Grande Weather Service with respect to the upcoming storm. We have reached the agreement that snow will likely not fall in the Columbia Basin, however some ski resorts in the Elkhorn Mountains of Northeast Oregon may see up to 6 inches of the white stuff.

Foot's Forecast is revamping their site, so there will likely be no national publications for a while.

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Trick-or-Treating Forecast!

2011-10-31T15:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween to everyone! Tonight is going to be a chilly one so I hope all the kids out there have warm costumes! Below are the forecast maps for the Columbia Basin and Foothills of the Blue Mountains. You can click on the maps for larger images

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	64F	59F	70F
Low temp	30F	35F	16F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.33"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday: 0.8 (Low)
Wednesday: 0.7 (Low)
Thursday: 0.3 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 57F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 60F
Lower Monumental Dam: 60F

SNOW LEVELS: On Wednesday a cold front is expected to push through the Pacific Northwest dropping snow levels down to 1300 feet for Thursday night. This excludes the Tri-Cities, however it wouldn't surprise me to see some snow mixing into the precipitation in places like Walla Walla, Pendleton, and up in the Horse Heaven Hills south of the Tri-Cities. Amounts of up to 4 inches of snow could be seen over Deadman Pass/Cabbage Hill east of Pendleton and Snoqualmie Pass between Seattle and Ellensburg should see some snow too along with other major passes across the area. Since portions of the forecast area have a chance of snow, I will not take it out of the forecast graphic.

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Sun through Wednesday

2011-10-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! The mostly cloudy skies that we have seen throughout much of the day today are already on their way out. For the next few days expect mostly sunny skies with highs in the 50s.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	63F	59F	64F
Low temp	35F	36F	26F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	1.21"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Monday: 2.1 (Low)
Tuesday: 0.8 (Low)
Wednesday: 0.9 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 57F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 60F
Lower Monumental Dam: 60F

Foot's Forecast is continuing coverage on the Nor-Easter that impacted that area these past few days.

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

P.S. - I do realize that I placed snow in the forecast, however I do not have any definite answers about who might see snow at this time. Those will come in a few days.

Mostly cloudy this weekend, sun for the beginning of next week

2011-10-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! We have seen mostly cloudy skies throughout much of the day and expect these to last through the weekend. Details below...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	57F	60F	70F
Low temp	25F	36F	21F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.40"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Saturday: 2.2 (Low)
Sunday: 1.8 (Low)
Monday: 2.6 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 57F
McNary Dam: 55F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 60F
Lower Monumental Dam: 60F

Foot's Forecast is busy tracking a major Nor-Easter so they have not issued a national forecast, however, if you have family affected by the snowstorm impacting that area, please send them to Foot's Forecast as the eastern teams are working hard to provide the very best forecast possible.

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Increasing clouds tonight to linger for weekend

2011-10-27T15:48:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! Places like Amarillo, Texas got snow earlier today! That's right, Texas. So why not here? Well lets take some things into consideration (bolded items are more conducive for snowfall):

	Amarillo, TX	Pasco, WA
Elevation	3605 feet	387 feet
Avg Oct Precip	1.50 inches	0.65 inches
Record Low	12F	9F

Here we shouldn't see snow soon, however get your winter forecast tomorrow morning at about 7:18 on 88.1 The Edge. What we can expect over the next few days is coming up...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	54F	61F	70F
Low temp	23F	36F	20F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.23"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 2.2 (Low)
Saturday: 3.6 (Medium-Low)
Sunday: 2.6 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 59F
McNary Dam: 61F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 62F
Lower Monumental Dam: 62F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

Rina is now a Tropical Storm, with a path that will steer it away from the U.S.
Snow will fall from Pennsylvania into Maine today and tonight. This system will move quickly northeast, with precipitation coming to an end pre-dawn Friday morning.

A second storm system will move into New Mexico bringing moderate snow before turning into a rain/thunderstorm event later today across the Southern Plains.

The system then moves eastward through the Deep South before running into the cold air mass bringing the possibility of light snows to parts of the Central Appalachians Friday evening.

Rains will spread into the Pacific Northwest on Friday.

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Decreasing clouds tonight

2011-10-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! We have seen mostly cloudy skies throughout the day today, however don't expect them to last. We will see decreasing clouds overnight tonight leading to sunny skies tomorrow.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	59F	61F	71F
Low temp	26F	36F	21F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.22"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday: 1.5 (Low)
Friday: 1.6 (Low)
Saturday: 4.0 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 59F
McNary Dam: 61F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 62F
Lower Monumental Dam: 62F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

Rina has weakened to a Cat 1, and several disturbances are moving across the country. The most northern will move through the Mid-Mississippi Valley today, and quickly race off into the upper Mid-Atlantic by Thursday evening. The southernmost aspect of this of this upper trough is already bringing impacts to the Central Rockies with moderate to heavy snow.
As the system heads South into the southern High Plains, it will change to rain.

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Freeze Warning continues

2011-10-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! Here at my house we started out at 33 degrees this morning but there was frost across much of the area. This will happen again tonight as lows are expected to get even lower. Tomorrow we will see increased clouds but those should be gone by midday tomorrow.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	63F	62F	77F
Low temp	34F	36F	22F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.33"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday: 0.4 (Low)
Thursday: 0.7 (Low)
Friday: 2.7 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 59F
McNary Dam: 61F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 62F
Lower Monumental Dam: 62F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

2:00 PM EDT 10/25/11 | Tourists and residents in places like Cozumel, Mexico are now facing what could be by Thursday morning a full-on assault from a Category 3 Major Hurricane Rina. Within 36 hours, the storm may be generating sustained winds of 120 mph or greater. If you have family or colleagues along the Yucatan-Mexican coast, we urge serious consideration of an early evacuation based on current projections. Several cruise lines have already made significant route changes due to the hurricane. No amount of Dramamine will help you counteract the swaying that seas can produce from a nearby major hurricane.

In addition to Rina, a new disturbance heading west near Venezuela will make for an interesting forecast situation by weeks' end. The new disturbance, denoted as 97L, is noted with a 30% chance of development. The challenge facing forecasters and Caribbean residents alike is sorting out what may happen if both storms begin to interact come Friday as they approach each other from opposite directions.

WHAT IS NEXT? The press of a cold front from the Southeast on Thursday will likely confound the forecast situation further, as shown in this NOAA map from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Hurricane Rina is expected to travel north-northwest and may strike or barely graze the Yucatan peninsula, then curve east toward the tip of Cuba. Invest 97L in the next 5 days is expected to curve northwest toward Jamaica. It is not unreasonable to expect some interaction between the two storms. This unusual circumstance by itself is not cause for alarm, both forecasters and computer models may have difficulty discerning an outcome.

WHO IS AT RISK? Interests and those traveling in the area, including the Belize - Mexico coast, Jamaica, Cuba, the Island of Hispaniola and South Florida, should closely monitor this variable situation over the next several days. If governments outside the U.S. issue watches or warnings, we will repost that information here for our readers. (Forecasters Foot, Jason M. and the Tropical Team)

There is a Freeze Warning in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, NE Umatilla, and N Morrow Counties until 10 AM PDT Wednesday.

Freeze Warning!

2011-10-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! These next few days are going to have chilly starts rising up into the mid 50s for highs. Winter is definitely on the way, places like Cheyenne and Denver are already expecting several inches of snow. Get the ice scraper ready!

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	63F	62F	77F
Low temp	42F	36F	22F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.33"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday: 1.4 (Low)
Wednesday: 0.3 (Low)
Thursday: 0.2 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 59F
McNary Dam: 61F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 62F
Lower Monumental Dam: 62F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

8:00 PM EDT 10/24/11 Those along the Florida coast and the interior Southeast should closely monitor the developments with Hurricane Rina.
On-going updates and analysis of NHC statements are posted in our Tropical Zone. The National Hurricance Center expects Rina to reach Category 3 status by Tuesday. Were Rina to make a run for Florida, our forecast zones to be impacted would include Central Florida, led by Forecaster Matt Bolton, as well as South Florida & The Keys, led by Meteorologist Randall J. and Forecaster Amanda Brioche.

(EARLIER UPDATE AS OF 10:00 AM EDT 10/24/11) Storms developing in this region of the Caribbean have a history of rapid intensification due to high oceanic heat content and favorable upper level conditions. In the past 20 years, several notable storms have intensified their way into the history books, and have had their named expunged from lists of future hurricanes. Examples include:

Hurricane Wilma, Oct. 2005
In late October 2005, Wilma exploded from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in 24 hours before charging across southwestern Florida as Category 3 hurricane on October 24. In September 1988, before making landfall in the Yucatan, Gilbert produced what some data indicates was the highest ever recorded sustained winds in an Atlantic basin hurricane: Clocked at 185 mph with gusts above 200 mph.

THE LA NINA / "ATMOSPHERIC RIVER" CONNECTION As members of our team learned in a Friday 10/21/11 visit with NOAA scientists at University of Maryland-College Park, there are occasional "river channels" of moisture that set up in the mid-levels of the atmosphere from time to time. (NOAA Research Report) A good couple dozen million folks in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast need no more reminders of what these atmospheric rivers wreaked on their lives in August and September 2011. It is interesting to note that Wilma, Gilbert and the Irene-Lee period occurred when La Nina readings from the Pacific were observed to be in similar range over a three-month period.

A WINTER STORM CONNECTION Some readers are "seasoned" enough to remember the January 6-9, 1996 blizzard on the East Coast. Despite this being among the few high-impact winter weather events of that season, it also occurred in a time period of rapid transition in the Pacific from the previous year's El Nino to the strengthening La Nina of the winter that followed. (See NOAA CPC Special Report) Hmmm...sounds a whole lot like 2011 to us. Should you run through the halls and burst into the Principal's office screaming, "Foot's calling for a blizzard!!" Um, no. Please stay calm, it is only October. Perhaps you can consider scientific alteratives:

THE LONG RANGE DATA SOLUTION: We are saying those with interest in understanding how to follow NOAA data about La Nina, Atmospheric Rivers, should begin familiarizing with parameters that our team and many climate scientists use to identify possible patterns: The Arctic Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Pacific-North American Index, (our usual group) and new data points including Total Precipitable Water.

That is, unless you would rather learn about atmospheric rivers up close and personal from the front seat of your car.

There is a Freeze Warning in effect for Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, NE Umatilla, and N Morrow Counties until 10 AM PDT Wednesday.

Sun for much of this week

2011-10-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! We are seeing mostly cloudy skies today ahead of a cold front that is forecasted to bring us some chilly temperatures early on this week. On the bright side, at least the sun will stick with us for much of the week thanks to a ridge of high pressure that is expected to build.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	74F	63F	81F
Low temp	54F	37F	25F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.29"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Monday: 2.2 (Low)
Tuesday: 1.2 (Low)
Wednesday: 0.8 (Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 59F
McNary Dam: 61F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 62F
Lower Monumental Dam: 62F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Cool down still on the way...

2011-10-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! Expect mostly cloudy skies through the weekend as a weak cold front pushes across the Pacific Northwest. Monday a ridge of high pressure will begin to form bringing cooler temperatures and sunny skies through what looks to be much of next week.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	68F	64F	78F
Low temp	51F	37F	26F
Precipitation	0.01"	--	0.57"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Saturday: 3.2 (Medium-Low)
Sunday: 4.2 (Medium-Low)
Monday: 3.7 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 59F
McNary Dam: 61F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 62F
Lower Monumental Dam: 62F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Cool down next week...

2011-10-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! It looks like we better enjoy these above average temperatures while they last, because come the beginning of next week our highs will drop into the 50s with lows into the 30s. Below I will have the November forecast along with the Climate Prediction Center's latest winter outlook.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	69F	64F	78F
Low temp	37F	37F	26F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.34"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 2.4 (Low)
Saturday: 5.0 (Medium)
Sunday: 4.8 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 57F
McNary Dam: 59F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 63F
Lower Monumental Dam: 63F

So, for November the Climate Prediction Center says to expect above average precipitation, however they say 'equal chances' for temperatures or, in other words. We don't know. This winter continues to look more and more favorable for above average snowfall rates.

And now, a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

10:20 AM EDT 10/20/11 Passage of the less-than-severe coastal storm, and the spiraling Ohio Valley low literally caused "breath-taking" winds in the upper Midwest over 60 mph and up to 40 mph sustained over the Great Lakes. Our forecasters in these regions, including Ben at Michigan Weather Watchers, and Robert in Southeast Wisconsin, report the storm is becoming "cut off" from the primary flow. This will produce on-going strong wind gusts for the next several days in these areas, coastal flooding along lake shores and a bitter early winter preview... minus the snow.

Some are thankful snow was not associated with this storm. Readers will recall about this time last year, we were heading into what would become one of the most powerful inland cyclones ever recorded in the U.S. It became a powerfully epic storm registering a barometric pressure of 953 millibars, which is on par with a Category 3 hurricane. This storm pummeled the Great Lakes with hurricane-force winds, caused blizzard conditions in the Dakotas, tornadoes from the Ohio Valley to the Southeast, all on the same day. (A Wikipedia overview of the storm we have reviewed for accuracy.)

Fast forward one year, things are looking much better. Despite brisk winds and cold temperatures, Komen Racers everywhere will delight in good news for this weekend's events. Despite the cool weather, races planned around the U.S. are fortunate to be in areas which will be under a high pressure ridge. We are happy to report that Races for the Cure in Kansas, Iowa, Tennessee and Maryland alike should see weather similar to what was observed in the photo above from the Hunt Valley, MD event in October 2010.
By Saturday, winds in the Midwest may still be howling up to 30 mph, but by Sunday in the East, conditions will have diminished to light west breezes. If you've been thinking about joining the Maryland event, there is still time to register...visit Komen's Hunt Valley, MD Affiliate website. Racing in Knoxville, Tennessee on Saturday? Forecaster Jeremy Buckles of our East Tennessee Team has you covered, with better weather ahead for the race.

So with sunshine ahead and the wind at your back, we encourage any able-bodied readers available to take advantage of the improving weather, and make a difference... because "we all know someone

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

More clouds

2011-10-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! Sunny skies have reigned these past few days but don't expect it to continue. A weak storm system is going to bring increased clouds overnight tonight and into tomorrow...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	66F	65F	76F
Low temp	37F	37F	29F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.34"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Thursday:3.4 (Medium-Low)
Friday: 4.1 (Medium-Low)
Saturday: 4.4 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 57F
McNary Dam: 59F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 63F
Lower Monumental Dam: 63F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

9:00 AM EDT 10/19/11
By now, it's no longer an "October Surprise" but a "Oh man not again" storm. We think the current setup of an Ohio Valley low pulling in tropical moisture to "phase" with the subpolar jet is beginning to look a lot like a possible Winter pattern. The NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has identified the Mid-Atlantic with a 30% probability of strong winds. Were this storm to occur just 45-days from now, those west of I-95 might be hearing thundersnow, while areas from Eastern North Carolina to the Delmarva and the Northeast feel like Irene "did an Ivan" and cycled all the way back around to make another run up the coast. Our overview of the threats and timing for today, Wednesday 10/19.

Primary threats & storm timing
We have high confidence this event can produce similar high-impact disruptions to commuters and municipalities as was observed on January 26, 2011 and the recent flooding rain event of Tropical Storm Lee. Remain alert to changing conditions and monitor your local NWS office for any warnings.

1. STRONG WINDS, LIGHTNING, HEAVY RAIN: A digging trough in the Midwest leading to rapid interaction of dry air with tropical moisture from the east may fire surprisingly powerful severe weather today from the Carolinas north to Eastern Pennsylvania. (See Water Vapor). The primary threat for most areas should be heavy downpours.

*Along and east of I-81 today, including the Richmond-Washington-Baltimore I-95 corridor, 3 PM to 6 PM is our targeted time frame for highest risk of dangerous weather conditions.*

2. TORNADOES & HAIL The SPC has also identified a portion of the central Mid-Atlantic with a 5% shot at Tornadic activity. You may think those numbers are low, but for weather forecasters and emergency managers alike, it is enough to raise eyebrows this time of year. Under this scenario, areas of central and eastern Virginia, east of I-81 would be first in line for tornado threats early this afternoon, with the I-95 corridor and east late this afternoon into tonight.

(Forecaster Foot and Connor M., Baltimore MD)

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

More cold, patchy fog tonight

2011-10-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! It was definitely chilly this morning, however it did warm up quite nicely into the afternoon hours. Expect this to be the case again tonight and tomorrow, however don't be surprised if there are a few sprinkles tomorrow morning along with patchy fog. Tomorrow night it looks like clouds will be on the increase and will stay that way through Saturday.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	66F	65F	82F
Low temp	37F	38F	27F
Precipitation	0.00"	--	0.11"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Wednesday:3.3 (Medium-Low)
Thursday: 4.2 (Medium-Low)
Friday: 3.6 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 57F
McNary Dam: 59F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 63F
Lower Monumental Dam: 63F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

10:30 PM EDT 10/17/11 Residents of the Eastern U.S. from the Ohio Valley to the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic might have their breath taken away by a little-known surprise lurking in the Gulf of Mexico. We may dub this the "you've got to be kidding me" storm. Believe it or not, this area of disturbed weather currently identified by the NHC with a 30% chance of development...may be pulled into a deepening trough regardless of whether it becomes Tropical Storm Rina or not. Moving rapidly over land, this system could could reorganize as a "cold core" storm as it bisects the East Coast, and deliver a real punch of wind to millions of folks along the coast who tomorrow might say, "What storm?"

Several notable computer model guidance packages, including the "Hurricane-Weather Research and Forecasting" model, or HWRF (shown left) and the "European" model show some type of fast-moving windstorm slicing through Eastern North Carolina. By Tuesday night, and moving along the DelMarVa penisula by Wednesday. In this scenario, the primary threats will be tidal flooding and strong gusty winds near tropical storm force. Our concern is that because the system is relatively far away, and is not a named storm, there may be a lack of awareness as to how quickly this system could ramp up if it is pulled into the trough and rides up the coast.

WIND: Coastal areas from Eastern North Carolina to Southeast Virginia and the DelMarVa may experience sustained winds of 40 mph to 55 mph Wednesday to Thursday morning. Inland areas along the I-95 corridor could see gusts above 30 mph at times.
RAIN: Latest precip projections from NOAA show a large area of 1.5" + of rain from the I-95 corridor east, with a larger slug of moisture from the primary low in the Ohio Valleyheaviest rain exceeding is expected in central and south Florida on Tuesday with decreasing amounts the farther north.
FLOODING If the storm arrives in an area on a high tide, the strong southeasterly fetch may produce tidal rises of 1-2 feet in coastal communities regions of the Carolinas to the Delmarva.

Even though it is October, a quasi-Tropical system merging with the active energy of the subpolar jet stream? That'll turn some heads, especially if it happens in a span of less than 48 hours. Those of you seasoned enough may remember Hurricane Kate in November 1985, which made landfall in Florida before heading northeast across the Carolinas. After making landfall near Appalachiacola, FL in mid November as a Category 2, the storm went right over the Cape Fear area and exited near cape Lookout. Despite going no farther north, the unraveling storm produced 50 mph winds as far north as Salisbury, Maryland. I know, because I was there to see it and boy was that ever a surprise. This time we want you to know about it earlier than the day before it happens. (Inset: Hurricane Kate track, slide show)

We would encourage our readers, along with local emergency management officials, facilities & operations staff to keep close watch on your NWS forecast office, as well as the NHC for any surprise developments with this system.

(Forecaster Foot and Connor M., Baltimore MD)

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

Sun, than clouds, than sun!

2011-10-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! Tonight is going to be a little bit chilly with lows around 35 in the Tri-Cities, Pendleton, and other various low lying areas. Over in Walla Walla you can expect a low around 39 and all you rural land owners up in the Horse Heaven Hills can expect lows around 40. Also, it would not surprise me to see fog tonight, especially in the Tri-Cities and other areas along the Columbia River.

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	63F	66F	72F
Low temp	42F	38F	27F
Precipitation	0.13"	--	0.19"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Tuesday:3.2 (Medium-Low)
Wednesday: 3.2 (Medium-Low)
Thursday: 3.7 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 57F
McNary Dam: 59F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 63F
Lower Monumental Dam: 63F

There are no weather alerts in effect at this time.

Sun for the beginning of the week

2011-10-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! We might see some increased clouds towards the end of the week...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	62F	66F	81F
Low temp	48F	38F	28F
Precipitation	0.06"	--	0.27"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Monday: 2.8 (Medium-Low)
Tuesday: 3.3 (Medium-Low)
Wednesday: 3.8 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 57F
McNary Dam: 59F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 63F
Lower Monumental Dam: 63F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

7:00 AM EDT 10/16/11 The U.S. Team of Foot's Forecast is thrilled to announce that Student Forecaster Matt Bolton from our Central Florida Team and Affiliate Student Forecaster Joe Puma of metro Chicago will be presenting a paper research findings at the National Weather Association conference (link to program) on Tuesday 10/18 in Birmingham, AL. Also attending is Student Forecaster Brittany Kusniar from our Three Rivers Team, who is a freshman in meteorology at California University of Pennsylvania, as well as Team Advisor Mike Mogil, Program Director of the NOAA- and NSF- funded Weather Camp Program, and a Certified Consulting Meteorologist.

Congratulations and best wishes to Joe, Matt and all NWA student presenters for all their work in preparing for this exciting event. We know you will do well!

The Long Range Zone

5:40 PM EDT Saturday 10/15/2011 This specialty forecast page provides collaborative team analysis of atmospheric, oceanic and current climate patterns in the Northern Hemisphere which may influence U.S. weather in the 1-2 week period ahead. This week's report is provided by Long Range Forecaster Jason Mitchell of Calvert County, Maryland as prepared on 10/13/2011. Contributors included Long Range Forecast Coordinator Nic R. (NC), University of Oklahoma graduate student Greg Blumberg (OK)and Lead Advisor Mr. Foot (MD).

Overview As we head into next week, extended range computer models project a strong storm system to sweep across the Eastern United States. This system may bring heavy rain and thunderstorms to portions of the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast during the middle to end of next week. Additional details are outlined in the NOAA Extended Forecast Discussion as well as the U.S. Hazards Assessment.

Temperature trends. In the Southeast, severe thunderstorms could accompany the passage of this projected storm, Mild temperatures would be observed ahead of a potent cold front. Much colder conditions would surge southward from Canada in the cold front's wake. This possibility is indicated in the below normal temperature probability map shown above.

Atmospheric teleconnection trends such as those projected for the North Atlantic Oscillation suggest temperatures for the East may remain below average the remainder of October. An upper level ridge should keep temperatures over the West Coast and Plains near to above average.

Rainfall relapse. As shown in NOAA's Climate Prediction Center outlook for the 6-10 day period ahead, above average rainfall is also expected to return for those areas of the country which need it the least, including the Northeast. The Southern Plains and Central Plains are likely to relapse back into a dry pattern with below normal rainfall probable in the 6-10 day period ahead.

About the Long Range Zone Statements posted on this page are not presented as forecasts but projections based on review of projected data provided by NOAA. Approximately once a week, a member of the Long Range Team will map out indications of upcoming weather patterns, including potential for future winter storm development, severe weather outbreaks, or extent and duration of a heat wave or a cold wave.

Regional forecast ideas regarding potential winter weather are analyzed by the Winter Stormcast Team for several days before being brought forward to our readers. Once a system is "inside 5 days" from arrival in a certain area, the forecasts will become more specific, with ideas posted in our regional Winter Stormcast pages for the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Ohio Valley and Western Great Lakes.

There are no weather alerts in effect at this time.

Sun for the weekend!

2011-10-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! It looks like after a long, dreary work/school week we are looking at a nice reward...

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	60F	67F	84F
Low temp	45F	39F	24F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.27"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Saturday: 2.6 (Medium-Low)
Sunday: 3.9 (Medium-Low)
Monday: 4.1 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 57F
McNary Dam: 59F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 63F
Lower Monumental Dam: 63F

There are no weather alerts in effect for our area at this time.

It looks like this could actually be a good weekend!

2011-10-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! That's right! We are expecting mostly sunny skies this weekend!

	Yesterday	Average	Record
High temp	67F	68F	81F
Low temp	48F	39F	22F
Precipitation	Trace	--	0.12"

And now here's the pollen forecast for the Tri-Cities from www.pollen.com...
Friday: 3.5 (Medium-Low)
Saturday: 3.0 (Medium-Low)
Sunday: 3.8 (Medium-Low)

Columbia River Water Temps...
Priest Rapids Dam: 59F
McNary Dam: 59F

Snake River Water Temps...
Ice Harbor Dam: 64F
Lower Monumental Dam: 64F

And now a national look at things from Foot's Forecast:

4:30 PM EDT 10/13/11: As a front moves towards the East Coast, a trough will keep the area weather rainy. The front should push through by tomorrow, but the unsettled weather should remain, at least in the Northeast, into the weekend. The West remains under a high pressure that will keep the skies clear.

There are no weather alerts in effect at this time.