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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Snow to taper off as colder temperatures descend on the region

A City of Spokane snowplow/sander tries to make its way through a tangle of vehicles sliding on Lincoln Street south of Fifth Avenue during the morning commute, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018, in Spokane, Wash. After four days of sometimes-heavy snowfall, precipitation is forecast to taper off tonight as temperatures drop. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)

After a busy weather weekend that saw several inches of snow accumulation throughout the area, the Inland Northwest is due for its first big chill of the year.

The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures to dip well below freezing heading into Presidents Day morning – just in time for the morning commute – with lows around 10 degrees. Factor in wind gusts in the 4 to 5 mph range, and it’ll likely feel even colder.

“So Sunday night is going to be the coldest night, but if you factor in the wind chill for Monday morning, it’s going to feel similar,” said Jeremy Wolf, weather service meteorologist. “It’s going to create wind chills close to zero.”

Luckily for drivers, those temperatures won’t mix with precipitation. By the end of Sunday, Wolf said only about a half of an inch of snow was expected to fall in the Spokane area, with most of the snowfall tapering off into the evening. In the Valley, about an inch.

Further south in the county, though, the areas of Spangle and Cheney can expect 1 to 3 inches of snow by Monday morning. In Coeur d’Alene, 1 to 2 inches, and in Kellogg, about 3 inches.

Temperatures should remain colder than freezing for much of the week while precipitation takes a back seat, Wolf said.

Sunday’s subdued but consistent snowfall capped a four-day stretch of inclement weather after a milder January that saw average temperatures in the 40s.

In the Spokane area, about 10 inches of snow fell, the majority of which happened on Thursday. Friday saw about an inch, with another inch or two falling Saturday.

The city of Spokane completed a full-city plow Friday. On Saturday, plows were focusing mostly on arterials, the city tweeted.

Sunday morning, drivers navigated roads that were mostly bare and wet, with icy patches in some spots. On some city roads, a light dusting of snow pellets created treacherous driving conditions.

On Interstate 90, multiple vehicle collisions were reported at about 11 a.m. near the Freya Street and Thor Street exit, which were likely snow related. Traffic was slowed, but by 12:30 p.m. was moving smoothly.

The weather service predicts a short trend of colder, drier weather for much of the week until snow resurfaces in time for week’s end.