My uneasiness I mentioned last week about extremely cold air hovering in southwest British Columbian is becoming a reality as I write this column Monday. Yes, at this time it will remain to our north and a good shot of snow will fall today from Olympia north. We remain in the 40s with rain showers as a weak weather system undercuts the cold arctic air.
On Wednesday, as the weather system slides by to the east it will drag that arctic cold air southward to the Columbia River. The main coldest arctic blast will arrive on east winds Wednesday. Highs will drop into the 20s by Thursday and lows in the teens or lower if the worst-case scenario pans out.
Another stronger weather system with plenty of warm moisture-laden air moves overhead from the west and southwest. It will increase the cold winds clear to the coast, and we may start off with brief snow, sleet and then freezing rain. Models weren’t certain how much precipitation falls but anywhere from a light glaze to a full-blown ice storm like we had in February 2021. We had two days on Feb. 12 and 13 with temperatures in the mid-20s and 1 inch of rain. Quite an ice storm with power outages.
Stay tuned to local sources as this develops. If that bitter cold air arrives, it will be stubborn to recede back to east. Bad timing with Christmas Eve only a day or two later. Prepare and get food, batteries and phone battery backups. Power could be out for days if the worst happens. I’ll have more in Thursday’s column.
