More snow and freezing temps for Tri-Cities — just in time for a frigid, white Christmas
Tri-Citians should brace for another round of winter weather as snow and ice are expected to move into the area just in time for a cold, white Christmas.
Temperatures are to stay in the teens and single digits for the next two days. Thursday’s temperatures were predicted to top out near 11 degrees with a low of 7 overnight, according to the National Weather Service.
There was an 80% chance of snow in the Tri-Cities Thursday night but an accumulation of less than an inch.
While temperatures are supposed to warm Friday to a high of 17, the wind chill is expected to make it feel like minus 1.
And there’s a 90% chance of snow before 1 p.m., though less than an inch of new accumulation is expected.
Then on Saturday, forecasters predict a 60% chance of freezing rain and a wintry mix, with highs near 26 degrees.
There is a 30% chance of snow or freezing rain continuing through Christmas night.
Drivers looking to head to Western Washington for the holidays may face a daunting trek across Snoqualmie Pass. The pass has been closed on and off in both directions in recent days, including on Thursday.
Snow is expected to continue falling through Saturday, according to the Washington Department of Transportation.
Weather along Interstate 84 has made travel through Oregon treacherous, as well. The I-84 route has been closed several times in the past few days, both through the Gorge to the west and through the Blue Mountains east of Pendleton.
Helping the homeless
The bitter cold conditions are taking a toll on those with little to no shelter.
At least two people needed treatment for frostbite at the Tri-City Union Gospel Mission in Pasco, said Andrew Porter, the mission’s executive director.
Temperatures hit zero degrees during the predawn hours Thursday in the Tri-Cities, according to the National Weather Service. The wind made it feel like it was minus 15.
Porter said the shelter housed 116 men overnight. That included those who signed up for a bed and others who just wanted to be inside the less formal warming station.
The two with signs of frostbite injuries were treated by nurses available at the men’s shelter.
“There are people that are still outside,” Porter said Thursday morning. “I just walked over to the Post Office on Lewis Street, and there was someone sleeping in a doorway under a pile of blankets.”
Warming stations continue to be offered around the Tri-Cities, mostly a public libraries and Columbia Center mall in Kennewick.
The Union Gospel Mission Men’s Shelter has the only warming station open 24 hours for men. That shelter doesn’t require the men to be sober, but does want them to behave and not to use drugs or alcohol.
The overnight facility has 112 regular beds and about 50 beds for special programs.
The mission also is giving out hand warmers, winter clothes and hygiene kits for people in need.
While they have seen several men coming in to use the warming center, the women’s and children’s warming center has been in less demand, Porter said. The women’s and children’s station closes at 8 p.m.
“I think women are more able to find places to stay,” Porter said. “We’re not seeing women coming for the warming station like they do for the men’s.”
