More rain and snow coming this weekend

Rain and snow across has eased across the Inland Northwest and forecasters are expecting a break in precipitation through Friday afternoon. A warm front passed across the region earlier today, causing snow levels to rise, and bringing milder air with it. Light snow fell across higher elevations in the Spokane area this morning. It was snowing at 9 a.m. at Spokane International Airport after rain fell there earlier in the morning. Precipitation switched back to rain by 10 a.m. Newport in Pend Oreille County reported more than 4 inches of snow. Snow advisories and winter storm warnings remained in effect through 4 p.m. today for a swath of northern Washington stretching from the Cascades to the Idaho border, including Chelan, Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties and the most northern part of Spokane County. The warnings were being scaled back to the east slopes of the north Cascades this evening. Snowy conditions earlier today at Snoqualmie Pass on Interstate 90 had changed over to rainy weather with mostly wet pavement. A cold front on Friday afternoon is expected to initially bring rain. Snow levels should start to drop from 3,300 feet to 2,200 feet overnight and then remain about that level on Saturday night when more precipitation is expected. The mix of valley rain and mountain snow is coming from a large Pacific storm system that is initially swinging a warm front east of the Cascades into north-central and northeastern Washington. The storm was forecasted to send a portion of its precipitation southward into Oregon and California, which will slow its eastward progress and create a southerly flow east of the Cascades through Friday, allowing milder conditions Friday. The cold front portion of the storm moves across the region Friday afternoon and evening, bringing a new chance of snow in the valleys of the region, including Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, over the weekend. The chance of snow in the urban areas of the region will continue on Saturday night through Sunday morning.