Light snow snarling morning commute

A winter storm delivered light snow throughout much of the Inland Northwest this morning, snarling the morning commute. Accidents were widely reported throughout the region with nine reported by the Spokane Police Department within a one-hour time period. Crashes were reported on Interstate 90 just west of state route 904, at Central Avenue and Napa Street, and at 6600 N. Forker Road. In addition, a semi was stuck westbound on Bigelow Gulch Road at Argonne Road around 7:45 a.m. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office was asking people to drive slowly on slick roads. The storm front was expected to shift to the east by noon with snow showers continuing in the Central Idaho Panhandle throughout the afternoon, the National Weather Service said. Only moderate snow accumulations were expected but the weather was expected to create difficult traveling conditions over mountain passes, the weather service said. Winds were expected to pick up by the middle of the day with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour expected over the Palouse and higher terrain around the Columbia Basin.