Is Today the Warmest Tri-Cities November Day Ever?

Well, with temperatures forecasted to hit 73 in Richland and 72 in Pasco today, we could very well meet or beat the record high for this date. As of this writing, it is 69 degrees at the Tri-Cities airport.

On this day in 1896, our area reached a high temperature of 73 degrees. The following year in 1897 the Mid-Columbia region reached 79 degrees on November 18.  So, having a swing like this isn’t necessarily something that should be chalked up as global warming.  In fact, we’ve been on the warm side (65 degrees or higher) 17 other times in November since we began recording temperatures.

So, instead of worrying about climate change, I recommend seizing the moment with a walk, jog, a bike ride, or sitting on your outdoor furniture one last time. But you better do it soon, because a cold front is moving across the state, and with it will come gusty winds up to 60 mph in parts of our area this afternoon and evening.

Tuesday will be much cooler with gusty winds to 35 mph and a high of 52, which is a normal temperature for this time of year. If you plan to be traveling over the mountains, you can expect snow, heavy rain, and gusty winds through tonight.