Arctic System Coming to Begin Year

Central and Eastern Washington will experience a very cold start to the new  year with an arctic ridge that will drop temperatures well below freezing and close to, or beyond zero overnight.

Meteorologist Dennis Hull with the National Weather Service said travelling conditions are expected to be at risk, but that’s not all.

“The working conditions outdoors are just going to be maybe a little dangerous at times if you aren’t really bundled up due to the brutally cold air.”

Hull said there could be some snow with the cold front moving in to help protect the winter wheat from the bitterly cold conditions.

There could also be some moderate to locally severe cold stress on livestock according to Hull, and as far as the vineyard owners who worry when the temperatures drop below zero, Hull noted, “We could be well into the single digits and some places may be getting below zero for one or two nights, so that would cause some concern for some of the vineyards.”

But Hull doesn’t think the temps will approach the double-digit negatives where it could damage vineyards or tree fruit.

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