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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Cold comes calling, snow could be falling

Tom Bro of T&B Sprinkler drags the air hose from his compressor through a customer’s yard Monday at 8 p.m. as he tried to complete as many blowouts as he could before temperatures froze lawn sprinkler systems that hadn’t been cleared. (Jesse Tinsley)
Tom Bro of T&B Sprinkler drags the air hose from his compressor through a customer’s yard Monday at 8 p.m. as he tried to complete as many blowouts as he could before temperatures froze lawn sprinkler systems that hadn’t been cleared. (Jesse Tinsley)Buy a print of this photo
By Mike Prager mikeprager15@gmail.com(509) 459-5454

Arctic air buffeted the Inland Northwest on Tuesday and is expected to hold its grip over the Inland Northwest through the weekend.

A moist storm off the Pacific Ocean could bring the region’s first lowland snowfall of the season on Thursday after the area’s mountains were dusted for only the first time on Sunday and Monday.

The National Weather Service said wind chill values – the feeling of the cold on exposed skin – were expected to ease today as winds die back.

A wind chill of minus 2 had been forecast for Tuesday night after northeast winds gusted at 30 to 35 mph at Spokane International Airport earlier in the day.

Today’s high should reach about 27 with a low tonight around 10 degrees and a wind chill near zero before dawn Thursday.

Winds today should be much lighter. Forecasters are calling for initially calm conditions with winds increasing to 5 to 8 mph later this morning.

Coeur d’Alene, however, could experience wind chills today as low as minus 10 with northeast winds of 13 to 15 mph and gusts to 20 mph.

This cold snap follows mild conditions the region enjoyed during the first half of autumn with much of the Spokane region escaping frost or freezing weather until this week.

This year is only the seventh time that the first fall reading of 32 degrees or less held off until November. On Thursday, an approaching Pacific storm will bring a wave of moisture along the Oregon-Washington border and then migrate north into the Inland Northwest.

Snow accumulations in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene should be light with less than a half-inch in Spokane Thursday night and less than an inch in Coeur d’Alene.

In Shoshone County, an inch or two of snow is possible.

However, a winter storm watch was issued for south-central and southeast Washington, including the Palouse region, and much of northern Oregon from the Cascades eastward.

The chance of snow arrives after 4 p.m. on Thursday and then increases Thursday from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Friday in Spokane.

Pullman is forecast to receive 4 to 9 inches on Thursday and Friday.

Areas to the north may be too far from the storm to see any snow. Snow was eliminated from the forecasts for Sandpoint and Colville.

Temperatures will slowly moderate through the week with highs running about 30 on Thursday through Sunday and then the middle 30s on Monday. Lows will be about 21 on Thursday night and 17 on Friday and Saturday nights.

The arctic weather has extended into Western Washington and Oregon, causing damage and power outages.

Winds from 40 to 50 mph toppled trees onto power lines and across roads, the Associated Press reported.

Portland General Electric and Clark Public Utilities reported about 28,000 outages in the Portland-Vancouver area by Tuesday afternoon. The power losses were reported from Portland’s western suburbs to Mount Hood.

In Western Washington, Puget Sound Energy reported more than 23,000 outages, mostly in the south King County area.

Falling trees caused problems on several roadways. They blocked the westbound lanes of Interstate 90 around noon in Easton, the Washington State Patrol said.