Snow happens.

We get it.

And when snow falls in depths measured in feet rather than inches, we expect some inconvenience. OK, a lot of inconvenience.

Still, after last January’s monster snowfall pushed local snow-clearing operations beyond capacity, many officials spoke about the lessons that had been learned. Lessons that would pay off next time conditions got so bad.

The test came Wednesday. Spokane gets about a C.

We’ll give the city extra credit for a midcourse correction Thursday and bump that C to a B-minus. About noon, City Hall announced that eight major routes – five east-west and three north-south – would start getting plows’ constant, rotating attention so motorists who get that far could rely on their being passable.

That’s smart. Nature has clearly overwhelmed the city’s snow-clearing strategy, so being able to count on at least certain critical routes is better than having none at all.

But speaking of lessons learned, we recall that last winter’s major storm eventually pushed city officials to seek hired help from private businesses with heavy equipment. The decision came late, though, and by the time the feelers were sent out, the equipment – some of it from out of state – was hard to get.

This year, the city was proactive. It had agreements in place in advance so auxiliary equipment could be enlisted promptly. Good move, except that the equipment wasn’t used Wednesday or through midday Thursday.

Keep in mind, a heavy snowfall had been forecast for last weekend, so the city had ample warning that something wicked was this way coming. The storm’s late arrival allowed extra time to get ready. Snow began sifting down early on Wednesday morning and fell all day – as it continued to do Thursday – but by the Wednesday afternoon rush hour, downtown Spokane was in gridlock.

Nobody doubts the dedication and hard work put in by the public personnel, from political leaders to equipment operators, who are responsible for dealing with transportation challenges at the city level.

And nobody expects May-like conditions in December, especially not in the wake of a meteorological carpet bombing.

But residents – taxpayers – have a right to expect a greater level of preparedness than was on display. Inconvenience is one thing, paralysis is another.