Cold weather coming to Columbia Basin Friday, Saturday
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 years AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | March 12, 2020 12:20 AM
MOSES LAKE — That sunny, warmish, moderate weather isn’t going to last. The National Weather Service is forecasting snow for Friday and Saturday, with blustery winds that will make air temperatures feel like they’re in single digits.
Jeremy Wolf, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Spokane, said not much snow is expected in Moses Lake. “We will have anywhere from about an inch in Moses Lake and higher amounts, 3 to 4 inches, as you go north of Moses Lake,” he said. The Ephrata and Quincy areas could receive 2 to 3 inches.
The snow is forecast to arrive before noon Friday, with possible rain Friday afternoon and the chances of snow diminishing into Saturday. But it’s more than the snow.
“The big story is going to be the much colder air coming in,” Wolf said.
As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, “the latest temperature is 60 degrees in Moses Lake,” Wolf said. “We’re going to see about a 30-degree drop in temperatures between now and Saturday.” Friday’s forecast high is 43 degrees, and 32 degrees is the forecast high Saturday.
Increasing northeast winds are forecast for Friday and Saturday. Sustained winds on Saturday are projected to be 20 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts to 40 miles per hour. The strong winds will push wind chill values to 5 to 10 degrees above zero. “That’s what it will feel like in the wind,” Wolf said.
Saturday’s low is forecast to be about 18 degrees in Moses Lake. Sunday night’s low is forecast to be 21 degrees.
While cold weather is not unusual in March, it’s still going to be pretty cold for this time of year. The coldest high temperature ever recorded in Ephrata on March 14 is 37 degrees, Wolf said, and the forecast high for March 14 is 32 degrees. “Right now, we’re forecasting the coldest high temperature ever recorded on that date (in Ephrata),” he said.
The culprit is cold air coming out of the Arctic.
The good news is the really cold air won’t stick around long, with temperatures beginning to creep back up Monday. Tuesday’s high is forecast for 48 degrees, according to the NWS website.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Road closures, roundabout, mean construction season underway
EPHRATA — The grass is starting to turn green, the trees are starting to leaf out, construction crews are starting to build roundabouts – hey, it’s spring. At least one roundabout project is in its final phase, held over from fall 2025. The intersection of State Route 282 and Nat Washington Way will be closed the week of April 6 to allow crews to install permanent lights. “This really is the final (closure),” wrote Grant County Administrator Tom Gaines in a media release. “The roundabout will close at 6 a.m. Monday, and we plan to reopen by Friday, possibly sooner if the work finishes early.”
Ybarra announces run for Washington Senate
QUINCY — State Representative Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, has announced his candidacy for the Washington Senate. If he’s elected, he would replace Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who announced her retirement in March.
Othello Community Museum to open April 25
OTHELLO — With a couple of new exhibits, a new heating-cooling system, rearranged displays and a thorough cleaning, the Othello Community Museum will open for the summer April 25. The goal, said Molly Popchock, museum board secretary, is to operate for a full season.