More snow on the way

Just as Spokane and Coeur d’Alene residents come to grips with this week’s record snowfall, the forecast calls for possibly three more storms that could add to the snow already on the ground before the calendar starts a new year. The next, and possibly worst, storm is expected to hit sometime Saturday night or early Sunday morning, said Greg Koch, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “The snow amounts in the Spokane area are for 5 to 8 inches with higher amounts south of the city,” Koch said. “The Palouse could receive as much as 10 inches. And portions of the Columbia basin, like Moses Lake and Ritzville – places not accustomed to getting a lot of snow – could receive 5 to 8 inches.” And forget about any warming trends that could melt the 2 feet or more of snow already on the ground, he said. “We don’t forecast high temperatures in the next seven to 10 days getting above the low 20s. Even if we do see some sunshine, we are not going to decrease our snow pack very much,” he said. Following the predicted storm on Sunday, the next significant snowfall could come on Wednesday night, which is Christmas Eve. “This system appears as though it will not be quite as organized, but it still could produce significant snows for a good portion of Eastern Washington and North Idaho,” Koch said. “We have a 100 percent chance of a white Christmas. I kind of sound stupid saying that.” The weather pattern could also include another storm system that could bring more snow before the end of the year, he said.