Skiers, take note: Mountain snow coming

A winter weather advisory for 1 to 2 inches of snow above 2,000 feet was issued for the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas starting at 7 a.m. today, with more expected in areas to the north of both cities, the National Weather Service said.

The advisory will remain in effect until 4 p.m.

Warmer daytime temperatures could limit accumulations in lower valley areas, forecasters said. Precipitation should taper off this evening, they said.

In mountainous valleys to the north and east, forecasters said 2 to 4 inches of snow, possibly more in some locales, could fall through Thursday. Up to 10 inches could accumulate in the mountains, including the region’s ski areas.

As the storm exits Thursday night, it is expected to draw colder northern air across the region, causing lows to drop to the low to mid-20s by Friday night, but temperatures should moderate over the weekend.

A cool, sunny day with a high of 40 is expected Saturday in Spokane, with rain returning Sunday with a high of 47.

Snowfall in the mountains was welcome news after nearly six weeks of relatively dry weather that caused snowpacks down to about 70 percent of normal across Northeast Washington and North Idaho.