Ag Weather Impacts

You can plan on high pressure to continue to give most dry conditions to the Columbia Basin. On Monday, the freezing fog was so thick in some areas that snow flurries developed. Areas of fog will dissipate later today and Wednesday as the high pressure move to the east. Cold air will linger near the surface and when the next round of Pacific moisture arrives late Wednesday and early Thursday, we could have some freezing rain until the temperatures rise above freezing later Thursday. Where the cold air is deeper in the northern Columbia Basin, the precipitation will likely start as snow and then change over to rain later Thursday. Several inches of snow could accumulate in the Yakima and Ellensburg areas. This round of Pacific moisture has a tropical connection, so total precipitation amounts by the time the rain ends late Friday could be 1/3 to 2/3 inch with heavier amounts west of Yakima and Ellensburg. Moderate to severe cold stress can be expected for exposed newborn or weak livestock during the precipitation. A few light snow showers are possible on Sunday, but the rest of next week looks to be rather dry with near normal temperatures. The first half of December has been rather mild in the northern Columbia Basin with temperatures averging 2 to 3 degrees above normal and closer to normal in the south. Precipitation so far has been only a quarter to half inch which is only about 50 to 75 percent of normal.