Easter forecast: freezes, snow to the north

Easter Sunday will bring a wintry mix of weather across the Inland Northwest, including snow in the mountains of Northeastern Washington and North Idaho. The National Weather Service advises 1-3 inches of snow could fall in the valleys and 2-6 inches in the mountains Sunday night and Monday morning, primarily in Stevens, Pend Oreille, Bonner and Boundary counties. Also, slushy snow accumulations may make for hazardous travel above 3,000 feet, including the Fourth of July and Lookout passes on Interstate 90 east of Coeur d’Alene. The heaviest snowfall is expected early Monday morning, forecasters said today. A winter storm watch is in effect from Sunday night through Monday morning, the weather service said. Temperatures tonight will dip below freezing in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas, with hard freezes hitting some areas. Near-freezing overnight temperatures will continue through Monday.