Storms line up to hit region again

Just as Spokane and Coeur d’Alene residents come to grips with this week’s record snowfall, the forecast calls for possibly three more storms that could add to the snow already on the ground before the calendar starts a new year.

The next, and possibly worst, of the three is expected to hit tonight or early Sunday morning, said Greg Koch, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

“The snow amounts in the Spokane area are for 5 to 8 inches with higher amounts south of the city,” Koch said. “The Palouse could receive as much as 10 inches. And portions of the Columbia Basin, like Moses Lake and Ritzville – places not accustomed to getting a lot of snow – could receive 5 to 8 inches.”

And forget about any warmer weather that could melt the 2 feet or more of snow already on the ground, he said.

“We don’t forecast high temperatures in the next seven to 10 days getting above the low 20s. Even if we do see some sunshine, we are not going to decrease our snowpack very much,” he said.

Following the predicted storm Sunday, the next significant snowfall could come Wednesday night, which is Christmas Eve.

“This system appears as though it will not be quite as organized, but it still could produce significant snows for a good portion of Eastern Washington and North Idaho,” Koch said. “We have a 100 percent chance of a white Christmas. I kind of sound stupid saying that.”

And the region could get yet another storm system that could bring more snow before the end of the year, he said.

“It’s hard to get too specific past anything beyond early next week,” Koch said, “but the storm track looks like it will remain active towards the end of the year. So travel through the holidays could be pretty tough.”

The numbers for the season are staggering, and it’s not even officially winter yet. Already, some 28 inches of snow have fallen at Spokane International Airport. That’s more than halfway to Spokane’s 30-year average annual snowfall of 45.8 inches.

“It’s kind of ridiculous when one storm gets you halfway there,” Koch said.

Last winter, 92.6 inches of snow fell at the airport, second only to the record winter of 1949, which had 93.5 inches of snow, he said.

The meteorologist remains steadfast in his belief that the Lilac City will fall short this year of its all-time high.

“Last year, with the exception of one big storm, it was a frequency of smaller storms that gave us such a high total,” he said. “Whereas this winter, our first storm was a record-breaker.”

Forecasters called for a tough winter last year because of colder water off the coast of South America, a condition known as La Niña. Conversely, warmer water off the same coast – El Niño – produces warmer winters in the Pacific Northwest, Koch said.

But the water temperatures this year are more neutral, which leads forecasters to believe this winter would produce less snow than last year, he said.

“We may have to suffer for a week or two, but I still think (the likelihood) of having a repeat of last winter – with 90-plus inches of snow – is fairly low,” Koch said. “I said that a month ago. I’m sticking to it. But this storm might lower my confidence a little.”