On her Facebook wall, Linda Lantzy of Idaho Scenic Images writes: “I was hoping for a sun and falling snow shot (Wednesday), but I was happy to find the snow undisturbed on this little beach off Tubbs Hill. Sorry to anyone who went after me. I messed it up real good.”

I’ve had many Press subscribers ask me recently to explain just how I measure the snowfall at my location on Player Drive in the northwestern corner of Coeur d’Alene. They also ask me why I seem to gauge more snow during a particular period or season than in their parts of town. First, we are at an elevation on Player Drive that’s nearly 100 feet higher than down near Lake Coeur d’Alene at the resort. The lake likewise tends to keep surrounding areas a bit warmer during the winter months, hence less snow. The second reason that we frequently see more of the white stuff in my part of town is that are are in a ‘snowbelt corridor’ that runs from just north of I-90 northward through Rathdrum and Twin Lakes/Cliff Harris, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here. (2007 Kathy Plonka SR file photo of Cliff Harris)

Question: How would you rate Winter 2011-12 as compared to other Inland Northwest winters?

A woman waits for a traffic signal to change while walking in a snow storm in downtown Moscow on Wednesday. It was snowing heavily in Moscow on Wednesday, with more snow forecast for Thursday. (AP Photo/Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Geoff Crimmins)

• Idaho Records/Sherry Adkins, SR
• Forecast: Snow isn't over yet/AP & SR
• Seattle flights stop, ground travel treacherous/AP & SR
• 2nd redistricting challenge ruling mirrors 1st one/Betsy Russell, EOB
• Tim Tebow to appear at Missoula fundraiser/Jamie Kelly, Missoulian
• Montana begins extradition proceedings vs suspects in teacher disappearance/AP
• Coeur d'Alene man, 41, accused of raping 16YO boy/Meghann Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels
• Cocaine, guns, money seized at EWU frat brothers off-campus party/Jeff Humphrey, KXLY
• Counterterrorism training firm to move HQ to Twin Falls/Alison Gene Smith, Twin Falls TN
• Orbusmax Special: 'It's still better than golf': Mount Rainier survivor describes 50 hours alone here

Lines were 10 deep at the ticket window and every chair was full as Lookout Pass opened for skiing and snowboarding Friday morning, maintaining its tradition of being first among the Inland Northwest’s five resorts to launch the season. “I’m here to get my shred on,” said Tanner Puyleart, 22, a snowboarder who came up from Coeur d’Alene with three friends, all North Idaho College students. “This is one of the best first days I’ve seen in a long time and I’ve been snowboarding 16 years,” said his friend, Jeff Elder, 26. Saturday, two other Inland Northwest ski areas will join Lookout in opening part of their terrain – Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Sandpoint and 49 Degrees North in Chewelah. Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park and Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg plan to open next Friday. That means all the resorts will be open to take in lucrative holiday-season revenue/Alison Boggs, SR. More here. (Kathy Plonka's SR photo: Skiers and snowboarders pack the lift during opening day at Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation on the Idaho/Montana border Friday)

Question: Do you play in the snow much?

Out for a winter walk: “The sidewalks are slippery,” said Lawrence Bradford, of Coeur d’Alene, as he walked along Fifth Street on Tuesday.

My favorite form of exercise is going on a brisk 3-4 mile walk through my neighborhood. But not in the slippery snow . How often do you exercise and what do you do to stay in shape?

“I caught the limit,” said Tom Colnaric, of Hayden, after ice fishing at Fernan Lake in Coeur d’Alene on Monday.

Winter – barely seven days old, according to the calendar – is making a powerful return to the region this week.

Snow, possibly heavy at times into Wednesday, will be followed by a blast of arctic air from Canada to keep the New Year’s bubbly plenty cold. The low on Friday morning may only reach the single digits in Spokane. More here. Mike Prager/SR

Related snow news.

Are you ready for more snow?

Children are buried in foam used to simulate snow at a shopping mall on Tuesday in Singapore. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Top Cutlines:

• 1. Two kids on the way to heaven arrived with just their heads, their hearts staying at home — Herb.
• 2. The Beave and Whitey find out there really is hot chocolate in the cup on the billboard — Gary D. Rhodes.
• 3. Don’t eat yellow foam — Cindy.
• HM: girlwithaflashlight
  

Be careful out there.
Slick, you know.
We got this last year.
It’s called snow.

The Bard of Sherman Avenue

Mr_Bloggy: Snowing in Spokane? Mr_Bloggy is endlessly amused by the child-like wonderness, the Groundhog Dayishness, the eternal snowshine of the spotless mindlessness, the butterfly newly emerged from its cocoonishness, the gazing upon the perfect meadow and waterfall for the final time by the last unicornessness of Spokane drivers as they venture upon snowy roads and byways for the first time of the winter and, in a miraculous sort of cognitive event, for the first time of their lives again! It is a mass reincarnation! A resurrection of the ones who slide for our sins. “It is so pretty, I’ve never seen this before in all of my 30 years driving in Spokane! We shall call this “sparkly angel frost cold nose tickle candy and we shall frolic in its wonder!”

Question: What was your reaction when you saw snow on the ground when you woke up today?

KREM 2 Chief Meteorologist Tom Sherry is predicting you’ll probably need your snow blowers and snow shovels more this winter than you did last year. Tom is forecasting a La Nina weather pattern, which traditionally calls for colder temperatures and more snowfall during the winter.  This is the same pattern that brought 98 inches of snow in 2008-2009 and 93 inches of snow in 2007-2008 in the Inland Northwest.  Last winter the region experienced an El Nino pattern and led to one of the smallest amounts of snow on record. Tom is calling for about 60 inches of snow this winter.  Our average amount of snowfall is 46 inches/KREM. More here.

Question: Do you enjoy snow?

Lewis Smith, age 13, shovels snow as he builds an igloo in front of his home in Overland Park, Kan. Friday, Dec. 25, 2009.

The Inland Northwest may have missed out on a white Christmas this year, but forecasters are promising to make up for it this week.

National Weather Service meteorologists on Monday were eyeing a pair of Pacific storm systems moving toward the Inland Northwest.

They are expected to drop an inch or so of snow Tuesday night and Wednesday and again on Thursday night and Friday.

Already coming down in Spokane this morning. Good news or bad news?

Marianne Love gives us a taste of snow here:
http://slightdetour.blogspot.com/2009/11/for-snow-lovers.html

And spokelooneh offered a link to her fascinating article about Farragut: http://www.mariannelove.com/Farragut….

Keithincda says on Saturday PBS aired a documentary about Farragut “Americas Landlocked Navy.” You can purchase the video online at the KSPS televesion website or at Amazon. Not too early to start thinking about Christmas presents.

Just saying.

Item: Physical shoveling proves to be pain in the back: Therapists see influx of snow-removal strains/Alecia Warren, CDA Press

More Info: Physical therapists see influx of snow removal strains. Everything was fine while Devonne was chucking humps of snow out of her driveway last month. Only after she shed her shovel and jacket inside did the pain hit. And it hit hard.

Question: Did you injure yourself in any way removing snow this winter?

Jim Almond, a former police auxiliary member who works for Robideaux Motors, had a close encounter with a zany before Christmas. Seems Jim was in the Costco parking lot, driving round and round looking for a spot. With a female driver following him closely. At last, a spot opened before him and he took it. Only to have the driver behind him stop and yell: “That was my spot.” Surprised by the taunt, Jim noticed her license plates, from California. He isn’t proud of what he said next, in the heat of the moment and all, but out came: “Go back to California where you belong.” Not bad for spur of the moment. For his troubles, he found himself looking down the wrong end of a handgun. The woman reportedly pulled one on him while still sitting in the car. Jim knocked it out of her hand and called the police. Be careful out there.

Dozens of young men and women, employed by Eastside Excavation, scramble off the roof after shoveling off Athol Elementary today in the Lakeland School District. The group was headed toward Garwood Elementary next. Jesse Tinsley/SR photo.

JanTri/Brand X Ranch had some fun with Photoshop today. Looks as though one of our HBOers was ready in Sophie this morning when the Bulgarians had an epiphany.

I love snow.  Truly.  But the berms on the sides of our driveway have grown so high that I had to plant warning flags on the crests to keep them from being hit by passing helicopters.  I chased a couple of mountaineers off of one yesterday.  Fortunately, one of them dropped his copy of Into Thin Air as he scrambled away over the lunar-looking landscape, so now I’ll have something to read today as we enjoy our fourth snow day of the year.  Yes, fourth/Katrina, Notes On A Napkin. More here.

*Three Things/Tumblewords

*Things we have learned to live without in the nightmare that has become part of our lives/TUBOB

*Back to the grind/Silver Valley Stories

*Shovel it forward/Slight Detour

*Where will you be Jan. 20?/Wayward Episcopalian

HBO Numbers (Monday, Jan. 5): 6069 page-views/3486 unique views