Spokane7
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January 17, 2012 in Idaho, Region
Heavy snowfall will hit region this week
Drivers in Western Washington are parked waiting to get on I-90 to cross Snoqualmie Pass, which was closed in both directions from milepost 33 near North Bend to milepost 106 near Ellensburg for avalanche control work. Officials say they can’t predict when it will reopen.
(Full-size photo)
The first blast of a major snow storm hit Spokane this afternoon, with swirling snow and gusty winds in what forecasters said was an unusual snow thunderstorm.
In North Idaho, the Idaho State Police advised motorists traveling I-90 to the Wallace area to use extreme caution. Winter driving conditions were in effect over to the Montana state line, and Lookout Pass is experiencing blizzard-like snowfall resulting in limited visibility.
Garfield-Palouse Schools closed early today due to weather conditions. A winter weather advisory remains in effect in the Pullman area until this evening. Parents of elementary school students in that district must call the school if no one will be at home or at the designated emergency bus stop. Buses will be on paved plowed roads only. School will be dismissed in Garfield at 12:30 p.m. and in Palouse at 1 p.m.
Coeur d’Alene Tribal School has canceled today’s after school programs.
The Inland Northwest is facing a wintry week, with snow in the forecast every day. The heaviest days will be Wednesday and Thursday as a major winter storm moves across the region.
A winter storm warning is in effect for much of Eastern Washington and North Idaho until late Wednesday night. In the mountains, from 24 to 42 inches of new snow is expected to pile up.
Snoqualmie Pass this morning was closed in both directions from milepost 33 near North Bend to milepost 106 near Ellensburg for avalanche control work and plowing.
Wednesday’s forecast calls for 3-5 inches of snow in Spokane, 3-7 inches in Coeur d’Alene, with even more Wednesday night. On Thursday, another 1-3 inches is possible in Spokane, and 3-5 inches in Coeur d’Alene, the weather service said.
More snow is likely Friday, but rain also is possible Friday night and Saturday as the temperature climbs above freezing for a day or so.
Caribou habitat costs studied 
TOOBAD2 on January 17 at 8:43 a.m.
its winter thats the way it is supposed to be
DHF on January 17 at 9:18 a.m.
Snow is beautiful in the mountains, on post cards but not in my driveway. I want Spring, Groundhog Day, or whatever but no snow.
fishinjay on January 17 at 9:41 a.m.
I’m as baffled by people who live here complaining about snow as I was when I lived in Arizona and encountered people complaining about the heat.
liberal_in_right_wing_land on January 17 at 10:23 a.m.
I don’t believe it after the last couple of months. The weather people here couldn’t get the forecast right if it was clear and sunny outside, they would probably say it was raining.
I know weather changes frequently and is hard to predict, but seriously, when every single weather person is on TV at 11pm saying we will have 2-5 inches of snow in the morning and to plan for that during the morning commute….then they all blow it. Seriously, I was looking at the weather maps last night said to myself NOTHING would happen here, that it was to windy and it would blow over Spokane and dump snow in Idaho. Amazing that I was right and I don’t have millions of dollars of equipment in my house like these jokers on the TV do.
westerly on January 17 at 11:07 a.m.
Seattle, Everett area right now has 5-6 inches on ground.
oneanddone on January 17 at 11:20 a.m.
It’s not that the weather guessers can’t be accurate enough with the forecast. It’s that there are far too many variables to accurately forecast the weather. It’s nature and we know all too little. No different than global warming. People look at a few variables and then proclaim their understanding. In the scheme of the universe we are infants with infinitesimal understanding gleaned through the glass darkly.
Shadedmuse on January 17 at 11:44 a.m.
Stop forcasting all these winter storms that never happend? you keep saying big storm comming and the end result is either No snow or a dusting, where I can gind more snow in a tea-baggers nose then what fell on the ground.
liberal_in_right_wing_land on January 17 at 12:21 p.m.
Big change from that up to 14 inches or more everyone was saying up until last night. Man, you weather people blow chunks.
Middleman on January 17 at 2:00 p.m.
Nice to see you back after the other day Lib.
RedCedar on January 17 at 3:39 p.m.
“Seattle, Everett area right now has 5-6 inches on ground.”
My God! The casualties must be into the thousands by now! Is anyone over there even answering the phone any more? Are they starting to eat each other?
Meanwhile, Wallace got 2 feet of snow in less than 24 hours, life goes on normally, and it doesn’t even make the news.
Shadedmuse on January 17 at 3:40 p.m.
So where is your big snow storm? asll what happpend was flurries and then siun comes out, comeone spokane media get the weather right or get out of the Wx biz.
de3 on January 17 at 5:01 p.m.
WSDOT had a tweet saying Snoqualmie Pass is open in both directions at 2:30 pm today.
SMARTGUY on January 17 at 5:27 p.m.
Really 13 comments on the weather report?14 now must be slow day.
misjustice on January 17 at 6:00 p.m.
It was only about three inches in CDA by early this afternoon. The problem wasn’t the amount of snow but the wind. I was out at some condos on the lake and couldn’t even see the shore line due to the swirling snow. I was very surprised when I got onto the freeway to head back to Spokan’t and there wasn’t even enough snow to call it a “dusting”.
Got an early commute in the morning so I hope that the forecasters are wrong, again! At any rate, SHOULD the snow actually arrive, I am ready for it!
; )
Pigrobin on January 17 at 7:54 p.m.
Hmm…hard to forecast “complex” weather systems. Even harder to forecast “climate change.” Tends to confirm how weak we really are when it comes to science. Makes you wonder why so many people are willing to believe that man can somehow influence the outcome of complex earth processes. Must be folks just wanting to believe in something, doesn’t matter if there is any scientific rationale (I mean church dogma) behind their beliefs.
Shazamm on January 17 at 9:02 p.m.
Weather has turned into just another media circus. It is all about hype and ratings, and has nothing to do with accurate forecasting. Some of those so-called “broadcast meteorologists” on TV are barely out of diapers.
Oh, and by the way, Shadedmuse, you should never smoke that stuff before you try to comment.
force_vector on January 17 at 9:06 p.m.
“So where is your big snow storm? asll what happpend was flurries and then siun comes out, comeone spokane media get the weather right or get out of the Wx biz.”
Fadedmuse strikes again.
DoubleH on January 17 at 9:54 p.m.
All I can say is this is ridiculous! I got so irritated by my co-workers today. Some went home early today and some may not be in tomorrow because they believe everything they hear on our local networks regarding the incoming snowstorm. Thank you local tv networks for lost productivity! Personally, I’ll get up tomorrow like I always do and report to work on time. As always, it won’t be nearly as bad as the local media says it will be. Remember 4 years ago….They were calling for very little snow accumlation and it actually didn’t stop snowing for days. Wish I could be consistently wrong and keep my job.
Shadedmuse on January 17 at 11:22 p.m.
Spokane media is a joke they cover non news stories they report on tabloid B.S they are yellow journalist who lack expirence and their weather forcasting is a joke, thank allah I live close to work where I can walk to work in mer minutes.
SPOKANE MEDIA AND WX talking heads are a joke and the worst of the worst are KXLY KHQ and KRUM, with Krispy Crocker being the leading ted baxter airhead of the bunch.
Pigrobin on January 17 at 11:40 p.m.
You guys kill me. The local TV forecasters pull their forecasts from the NOAA site. To see what they will be saying, you can look for yourselves. This is our science, they’re the spokespeople.
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/otx/main.php?wfo=otx&pil=zfp&sid=otx&format=pretty