Bitter cold past, but snows will linger

Wednesday’s frigid cold broke records in several smaller cities across the Inland Northwest, but forecasters say temperatures should continue to climb out of the sub-zero and single digits this weekend even as snow continues falling.

Cities setting new record lows include Pullman and Moscow, where the National Weather Service reported an overnight low Wednesday of minus 10, breaking the previous record of minus 9 set in 1985. The coldest was Ephrata, Wash., where the overnight low of minus 14 broke the 1985 record of minus 10. The minus 6 in Omak, Wash., beat the 1993 record of 2 degrees.

Spokane, after several days of single-digit cold, saw a Thanksgiving high of 19 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Snow was expected to continue falling today, with forecasters warning that accumulations could reach 7 inches, then taper off Saturday with 1 to 2 inches expected.