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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

More Snow, Experts Predict

The snowiest month of the year shows no sign of melting.

Weather forecasters said snow should keep falling all week in the Inland Northwest from a series of winter storms lined up over the Pacific Ocean.

In fact, long-range forecasts are warning that heavy snow is possible on Saturday from a low-pressure area now in the central Pacific.

Cold air remains poised to the north in Canada.

In recent days, the winds in the upper atmosphere have steered storms across the Pacific Northwest and California, leaving the Inland Northwest on the polar side of the jet stream, said meteorologist Irv Haynes.

“We shouldn’t break the freezing mark,” he said. Highs this week are expected to be in the mid- to upper-20s.

The wintry scene isn’t a surprise to weather watchers. Weather records say January is the snowiest month of the year with an average of 15.9 inches in Spokane.

So far this month, the city has recorded 12.4 inches with 7 inches remaining on the ground at the weather service office.

“Frankly the winter isn’t over yet,” said geography Professor Bob Quinn at Eastern Washington University, an expert in long-range weather patterns.

“I personally think it will continue right through February.”

On Monday, the National Weather Service issued a snow advisory for 1 to 3 inches of snow overnight and this morning. Snow showers are forecast for the rest of today.

Another snowstorm is expected on Thursday and Friday. Haynes said the midweek storm is not expected to bring heavy accumulations.

However, another storm farther out in the Pacific has enough intensity already to trigger a caution from the weather service of the possibility of heavy snow on Saturday, he said.

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