Freeze Warning issued for Yakima Valley, no longer in Kittitas and Umatilla counties

UPDATE on 5/12/22: Though a freeze warning has been extended once again for the Yakima Valley, special alerts no longer suggest that Kittitas and Umatilla Counties are at risk on Friday morning. Officials from Alert Yakima say that the cities of Yakima, Toppenish, Naches and Sunnyside may experience sub-freezing temperatures in the early morning of May 13.

The freeze warning will be in effect from 2:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. on Friday. Again, exposed pipes and delicate vegetation/crops must be protected from exposure to extreme cold.

The following update has been left unaltered from its original publishing.

UPDATE: The Freeze Warning issued for Yakima, Kittitas, and Umatilla Counties has been extended to the early morning hours of Wednesday, May 11. The warning remains the same: Temperatures will drop close to or below freezing between 2:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., so community members are advised to take precautionary steps to protect exposed pipes and plants.

The following article has been left unaltered from its original publishing.

YAKIMA, Wash. — Brace yourself for a dramatic temperature drop as a freeze warning has been issued for certain parts of Central Washington and Oregon, threatening to kill crops and damage exposed plumbing if not properly protected.

Image via NWS — Pendleton

According to a public notice issued by the Alert Yakima system on Monday afternoon, this freeze warning will be in effect from 2:00 a.m. until 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Authorities expect temperatures to linger in the mid-to-low 30s with temperatures possibly reaching as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas.

Weather trackers are bracing for this to impact Kittitas Valley, Yakima Valley, the foothills of the Northern Blue Mountains, and the foothills of the Southern Blue Mountains. Cities that are at risk of being impacted include Pendleton, Ellensburg, Naches, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Yakima, Heppner, Condon, Pilot Rock, and Thorp.

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If you have tender plants and crops that need to be protected, you are advised to begin taking precautionary measures as soon as possible. If exposed to the freezing cold, your crops and plants could die overnight.

Experts suggest that anyone with outdoor water pipes take action by wrapping them, draining them, or following them to drip slowly. Furthermore, in-ground sprinkler systems in the aforementioned areas should be drained and covered to protect them from freezing.

Tune into KAPP-KVEW Local News to hear the latest on weather developments from the First Alert Weather team.

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