Randy Mann: Precipitation levels likely to be decent in 2015
The new year started off with snow across the Inland Northwest. Then, the milder weather pattern moved in, bringing rain to the region.
Even with the weekend snowfall, Spokane International Airport has received only 9.1 inches since the season began on July 1. The normal to date is about 27 inches. In Coeur d’Alene, about a foot of snow fell during the weekend storm, taking the city to a total of about 24 inches for the season, compared with a normal of 30 inches.
In terms of total precipitation, the airport received 14.99 inches of rain and melted snow for 2014 – a bit below the normal of 16.56 inches. But, in Coeur d’Alene, moisture totals were above normal, as that city received 33.67 inches, compared with a normal of 26.77 inches.
Though the cities are only about 30 miles apart, geography is key to why Coeur d’Alene usually has much more rain or snow than Spokane. The mountains, especially, play a big role in our weather. As storms move in from the Pacific Ocean and over the Cascades, the air is forced to rise. The air then cools and condenses and more rain and snow will fall. If one travels from Seattle, the region on the West Side of the mountains is green and lush. However, as one travels to the east of the Cascades, it’s mostly desert. This happens as the air sinks down the mountain range, which results in warming and drying.
Spokane is at the edge of the drier conditions created by the Cascade Mountains. Farther to the east in Coeur d’Alene, the elevation starts to increase, which allows the air to rise once again. This results in heavier moisture totals in North Idaho versus Eastern Washington.
This year, precipitation should be near normal overall in the region, with approximately 16 inches at the Spokane airport. Snowfall totals will likely be below normal, thanks, at least in part, to warm temperatures in the waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean. In Spokane, we’ll probably end up around 25-30 inches of total snowfall; Coeur d’Alene should be in the range of 50-55 inches by the end of the 2014-15 season. All in all, 2015 looks like a pretty decent year for moisture.