Alaska Airlines issued a travel advisory due to freezing rain in the northwest.
KIRO 7 News meteorologist Morgan Palmer reports that planes descending into Seattle, Portland, Eugene, and Redmond-Bend may need to be de-iced, which can cause delays. Also, travelers to and from those airports in Oregon could have more significant wintry travel problems Friday morning.
>> Get weather updates around your home with the free KIRO Weather app
This cold wind is actually working against the chances of a more substantial wintry weather event for much of Western Washington. That's because as moisture from a warmer Pacific storm moves in Thursday night and early Friday, some of the precipitation that falls into the very dry surface air will simply evaporate before hitting the ground.
Still, the spots more likely to get raindrops to reach the surface and potentially freeze will be south of Seattle Thursday night and early Friday morning (overnight hours into the morning drive). Temperatures during the nighttime hours could well be cold enough that raindrops could freeze on contact with mainly elevated surfaces (bridges, overpasses) and also on some rural, untreated roadways.
>> Read our full weather analysis here
Flight passengers can expect airports to de-ice, but Alaska Airlines is offering waivers for travel dates on Thursday and Friday if anyone prefers to change, postpone, or cancel plans.
Cox Media Group
