Be Prepared Highways Bare Now But May Not Stay That Way Through Weekend, Weatherman Says

Holiday travelers should be cruising ice-free roads for the next few days, but the weatherman is revoking all guarantees after that.

Rain is forecast off and on through Friday, with a cooling trend and a chance of snow arriving over the weekend.

That has law enforcement officers worried.

Washington State Patrol Sgt. Chris Powell said too many drivers will be heading out for the holidays with a false sense of security.

“People should be prepared for the worst,” Powell said of the risk of snow. “Let’s face it: It’s that time of year.”

Motorists planning their return trips should allow extra time in case it snows. Midday travel is recommended, and vehicles should be equipped for winter, Powell said.

While the chance of snow worries law enforcement officers and many motorists, it’s being greeted with joy at the region’s snow-bare ski resorts. Just a handful of ski areas in the Pacific Northwest have enough snow on the slopes to open.

“Do a snow dance for us,” said Dean Cooper, marketing director at Lookout Pass Ski Area on the Idaho-Montana state line.

John Livingston, chief meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Spokane, said Mother Nature should oblige.

The freezing level above Spokane hovered at 11,000 feet Tuesday but was expected to drop to 5,000 feet tonight and even lower over the weekend.

That means driving conditions over the mountains should be safe from tonight into Friday. “We are not looking for a lot of trouble in the passes,” Livingston said.

The entire Northwest has been under the influence of a warm area of high pressure that has pushed cold air to the north for the past 12 days.

With the long nights in November, a layer of cold air often settles close to the ground. In recent days, the temperatures aloft have been unusually warm.

Last Friday, the freezing level went up to nearly 13,000 feet, an altitude more common in late spring.

This ridge of high pressure is expected to weaken and retreat to the west, allowing more moisture and cooler temperatures to move in ashore from Gulf of Alaska.

Cold Arctic air should stay east of the Rocky Mountains in Canada and the upper Great Plains.

The State Patrol’s Powell said extra troopers will be out on the highways Wednesday night and Sunday when the heaviest traffic is expected.

Last year, five people died on Washington highways over the Thanksgiving holiday period.

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