When Will Snow Start Falling in Tri-Cities? Weather Experts Tell Us

When Will Tri-Cities Washington Get Its First Snowfall Of The Season?

I can't believe how quickly fall is upon us and with fall that means our first Tri-Cities snowfall can't be far behind.

As we get closer to winter, our usual track record of a first dusting of snow near Thanksgiving isn't uncommon. I thought for the fall of 2022, I'd go to our weather expert and see what they think about when the first snowfall will hit Tri-Cities. 

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Mark Ingalls runs a great weather website called ingalls.weathertogether.net and here's what he's forecasting for our winter in Tri-Cities Washington:

Alright, my best guess is within two weeks on either side of Christmas. Long-range models suggest a late start to winter weather.

For context, the average first snowfall in the Tri-Cities is November 23. At the same time, heavier than usual snowpack in Siberia seems favorable for some significant action as that tends to warm the stratosphere in the Arctic, leading to a more active jet stream system.

This would mean vigorous Arctic storms are possible (though keep in mind the Tri-Cities is still aways south, low elevation, and a desert so it isn’t likely to be like North Dakota) but an amplified jet stream also indicates strong temperature inversion setups in between storms.

That could also lead to a decent freezing rain event at some point. This season is starting similar to 1971, which saw a trace of snow by Halloween (I don’t count a trace as the first snowfall, though) and the first significant snow on December 8 with 3.5 inches.

We’re running a little warmer than 1971, though, hence my later value.

We live in a big world with a dynamic atmosphere, though, so just because this season starts like 1971 doesn’t mean it will continue to be like it.

Of course, winter is still a ways away so take all of this with an unhealthily large grain of salt.

As Mark says, the first snowfall looks to be expected in December so those hoping for an early snowfall in Tri-Cities might be premature at this time.

You can check out more weather insights from our weather expert Mark Ingalls here