Weather Eye: Hang on to your hat, a wintry mess is blowing in

Today we get our first shot of real winter weather. As I write this Wednesday afternoon, nothing is a slam dunk. I can tell you cold east winds are here today and will clash with Pacific moisture. I expect as temperatures drop to freezing, we could see areas of freezing rain and sleet and then everybody gets snow in the county.

Looking at weather maps Wednesday, if the low tracks just south of the mouth of the Columbia River, which it appears  poised to do, Vancouver and surrounding areas will get inches of snow between today and Friday evening.

Another storm will arrive Friday night and Saturday. East winds are still expected to blow out from the Gorge. Most areas will receive all snow but, again, the track of the storm is critical. If it tracks inland north of Clark County we may switch to sleet and freezing rain and plain old rain. So, expect anything to happen. Could have a foot or more of snow on the ground Saturday night.

Regardless, it will be a wintry mess. If you didn’t get to grocery stores Wednesday and you need a few things, do it this morning.

Colder weather and icing conditions will begin later in the day. Although forecast maps could be off, the possibility for a good snowstorm lasting 48 hours is most likely.

Wednesday morning, arctic air was rushing into Bellingham with northeast winds blowing up to 40 mph and temperatures in the 20s. That air was moving southward to Puget Sound.

Arctic air was moving into Eastern Washington as well. All that cold air will settle in the Columbian Basin by early this morning, and the east winds will begin to blow our way. Hang onto your hat.

I have seen this many times as we get the arrival of cold air through the Gorge while a warmer Pacific weather system is pouring rain.

In January 2017, I was in Felida and it was raining at 4 p.m. By 6 p.m. it had turned to snow. Final result? Fiftee inches on the ground. It can happen.