Sign of winter – snow falling in parts of Inland Northwest

Low lying areas of the Inland Northwest had their first brush with the coming winter as snow was reported in northern parts of the region Thursday.

A wintry mix of rain and snow was evident at many locations, while snow accumulated in valleys of mountainous areas of northeast Washington and North Idaho.

A state transportation traffic camera showed a light accumulation of snow at Metaline Falls, and mountain passes also had snow falling. Snow was reported in Bonners Ferry and Sandpoint where the temperature hovered at 32 degrees at midafternoon.

Accumulations of up to 5 inches at elevations of 3,500 to 4,000 feet were expected overnight. Snow levels are expected to rise overnight with the precipitation changing to all rain even at higher elevations in the region as cold air is scoured by an incoming storm with milder subtropical moisture.

On Thursday, snow also was reported in the West Plains and north of Spokane, said Vern Ballard of the National Weather Service.

Colville reported some of the flakes, as did residents in Medical Lake and Cheney. Transportation department cameras showed no accumulations in those areas by afternoon. The snowfall came after nearly a foot of fresh snow fell at Mount Spokane earlier in the week with accumulations also occurring at other ski resorts in the region. The snow raises the possibility of early ski resort openings this month. After rain in the mountains today, the forecast calls for a return to snowy conditions in the mountains as a series of weaker, but cooler storms moves in off the Pacific Ocean.