Weekend weather: Snow, wintry mix headed for region

A new Pacific warm front is likely to bring snow to the Inland Northwest on Thursday night, followed by a wintry mix before dawn on Friday turning to all rain after that.

The warm front could cause precipitation to change to all rain Friday morning.

Commuters can expect slippery conditions early in the day on Friday.

The storm is the latest in a parade of weather systems during the latter half of autumn.

It is not likely to be the last. More snow is probable on Sunday and maybe on Tuesday as the Christmas holiday approaches.

However, the main body of the Pacific storm track is expected to migrate toward Oregon and northern California.

Lighter accumulations are expected from the weekend through most of next week.

As a result of the parade of storms, snow packs are starting to accumulate in the mountains. The incoming weather should boost snow depths.

Mount Spokane reported a summit depth of 35 inches and lodge depth of 19 inches following Wednesday’s storm.

Schweitzer resort’s snow pack ranged from 2 feet near the lodge to 4 feet on top.

The mountains could see 6 to 12 inches from the Thursday into Friday storm and another 1 to 3 inches on Saturday. Snow is also likely on Sunday, but amounts predictions were not available.

Thursday brings cold weather with highs near 30 in lower elevations and the 20s in the mountains.

The next storm should bring a modest increase in temperatures with highs in the lower elevations, but remain below freezing in the mountains.

Gusty winds are possible on Friday.

Computer models show a continuing chance of snow looking ahead toward Christmas.

While the recent storms are putting a dent in the drought that settled over the region last summer, the U.S. Drought Monitor considers the Inland Northwest to still be in a severe to extreme drought as of last week.

Precipitation in Spokane is now near normal since Oct. 1 with 4.4 inches of moisture.

That is close to normal for the period. However, the region is still 3.3 inches below normal for all of 2015.

The winter solstice, which marks the start of the calendar winter, occurs at 8:49 p.m. on Monday.