Arctic cold coming later this week

Cool and partly sunny weather today may seem like a heat wave compared to the temperatures being forecast for later this week. Highs today should reach the lower 40s with lows tonight in the upper 20s. A series of disturbances is expected to move over the region starting on Tuesday, bringing chances of accumulating snow through Thursday. The Idaho Panhandle may see heavy amounts of snow during the period. A hazardous weather outlook was issued for all of Eastern Washington north of Connell and western portions of North Idaho. A winter storm watch is in effect for the mountains of North Idaho north, east and south of Coeur d’Alene. In the Spokane area, accumulations may reach an inch to two inches on Tuesday and again on Wednesday. Coeur d’Alene could see 2 to 6 inches on Tuesday and Wednesday. The snowfall will be followed on Wednesday by an arctic front dropping southward out of Alaska and British Columbia. Nighttime and early morning temperatures could plunge to the teens or colder on Thursday morning and then to near zero on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. Highs are expected to reach the upper teens to about 20 during the period of arctic cold. At 7 a.m. today, it was 24 degrees at Spokane International Airport, 25 at Felts Field, 23 in Coeur d’Alene, 19 in Deer Park and 20 in Pullman.