Freezing rain threatens North Central Washington through weekend

WENATCHEE — The National Weather Service in Spokane is warning residents across North Central Washington of hazardous winter weather conditions expected to persist through the weekend, with the highest risks centered around the Wenatchee Valley and Okanogan regions.

A high-pressure system hovering over the region will maintain a blanket of fog and stratus clouds through Friday, creating dangerous driving conditions as periods of freezing drizzle coat untreated roadways with ice.

The Wenatchee and Chelan areas face a 30-50% chance of freezing rain Friday night into Saturday, marking the highest risk zone in the region. Communities including Omak and Republic fall within the same threat level, according to the Weather Service's impact outlook.

The weather pattern is expected to shift late Friday as the high-pressure system breaks down, allowing for increasing precipitation chances. While significant ice or snow accumulations are not expected, travel conditions could become difficult with any freezing rain development.

The forecast shows a distinct gradient of freezing rain probability across the region, with risks decreasing to 10-20% around Wilbur and dropping further to 5-10% near Pullman in the eastern portion of the forecast area.

Through Friday, patchy freezing drizzle will combine with persistent fog and stratus clouds, creating slick conditions on untreated roads. The weekend forecast indicates a wintry mix of precipitation, though forecasters note low confidence regarding specific precipitation types.

The National Weather Service office in Spokane continues to monitor conditions and provides updated forecasts through their website at weather.gov/spokane.