The Mid-Columbia Froze This Morning with Sub-30° Temps

People around the Tri-Cities woke up to a surprising taste of winter this morning, with temperatures well below freezing across the region.

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According to the National Weather Service, the low at the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco hit a brisk 27 degrees just after sunrise this morning (Wednesday), the coldest reading of the season so far.

Tri-Cities to Yakima: Early Mid-Columbia Freeze This Morning

By around 5 a.m., most neighborhoods from Tri-Cities to Yakima were hovering around 33 and 34 degrees. The expected cold snap arrived right on schedule and was maybe a little stronger than some expected.

Earlier this week, forecasters warned that Tuesday night into Wednesday morning could bring the first freeze of fall, with temperatures maybe dropping below the freezing mark. That prediction turned out to be spot on, with clear skies and calm winds setting the stage for rapid overnight cooling.

The normal low for this time of year in Pasco is 39 degrees, so this morning’s chill was more than 10 degrees below average. Sure, it wasn’t close to breaking the 1899 record low of 22°F, but it still reminds us that the mild fall weather we have had recently is officially over.

What’s Next for the Tri-Cities

The good news is that this looks like the coldest morning of the week. Overnight lows are expected to climb back into the mid-40s to 50s, and highs in the 60s through the weekend. Daytime highs will remain comfortable, in the low to mid-60s, and mostly sunny skies.

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If you had frost on your lawn this morning or if your outdoor plants suffered damage, you were not alone. The cold part of Fall arrived last night, and it looks like it came to stay a while.