Here’s the November Date We Are Expecting the First Snowfall in Yakima

Get those mittens and winter hats ready, Yakima! It's time to look forward to the first expected snowfall.

The National Weather Service has already issued a freeze warning for Friday, October 18th, but AccuWeather has gone a step further and suggested the day we will most likely see some snow in our neck of the woods, as you'll see below.

Before the snow hits, however, we need to take care of a few things. Think of the ants...

HOME PREPARTION FOR SNOWY WEATHER

Ants know what's up: they spend all summer getting ready for the winter, stocking up on food, building insulated homes, you get the drift. So let's be like the ants and get prepped for the snowy weather.

I highly recommend getting your winter blankets washed, folded, and ready for action NOW before the cold weather comes. I also suggest breaking out the heating pads, and covering up your kitchen and bathroom pipes with that stuff they use to keep them warm during the winter. (I know it's technically called pipe insulation; I just couldn't think of the word for it at the time, ha).

Heating pads work wonders keeping your body warm during the winter months. Obligatory disclaimer: Make sure you don't create any fire hazards!

Apartment renters and homeowners, make sure your heating systems are working properly, including fireplaces, central AC/Heating units, chimneys, etc., or get a handy man to do check on it for you.

CAR PREPARATION FOR SNOWY WEATHER

Winterizing our cars is important, too. Anti-freeze/coolant levels need to be checked and refilled if necessary. Replace your battery or at least wipe off that chalky crap that likes to clump around the positive/negative knobs (corrosion). Remember that batteries hate the cold--it drains some of their power!

Get your snow tires ready or buy new ones that have studs in them (or make sure you put the snow tire chains in your trunk).

A WORD TO THE WISE

Here's one more tip I'll recommend to you: A while back, I bought a portable power station for camping trips, but I've discovered that these are a great backup in case of any neighborhood power outages.

Mini-power stations come in very handy if the electricity goes out during a cold snap. You can find some for less than a hundred bucks online.

THE FIRST SNOWFALL IN YAKIMA?

For now, the weather prediction for the first snowfall in Yakima is Wednesday, November 13th. On that day, AccuWeather weather forecasters say we'll have a 75% chance for morning snow showers, likely mixed with rain. Of course, weather predictions are fluid, so if it doesn't snow that day, at least we'll be ready for it when it does come along!

Do you remember the biggest snowstorm we've had around here? I hadn't moved to Yakima yet, but I heard it snowed so much, people's roofs were caving in from the weight of all the snow!