Winds gusting to 39 mph in N. Idaho

An arctic cold front poised just north of the Canadian border is already kicking up winds in North Idaho with gusts in the past hour of 39 mph in Sandpoint and 32 mph in Coeur d’Alene. The cold from is dropping southward today, bringing gusty northeast winds to the wind-battered Inland Northwest. The wind chill on exposed skin could make the temperature feel like it is in single digits.

This comes on the heels of a moderate snowstorm early Tuesday that slickened roads and added to the region’s weather woes.

More than 20,000 power customers remain in the dark on the eighth day after the Nov. 17 windstorm.

National Weather Service forecasters warned that black ice could form overnight into Wednesday morning. They said the cold front carrying modified arctic air should cross through the region this evening as a low pressure area that brought today’s snowfall moves southward along the Pacific coast and then inland.

It is expected to spread snow across the Rocky Mountain states this week.

A winter weather advisory for the Inland Northwest was set to expire at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

The departing low pressure area will set the stage for northeast winds blowing into the teens in Spokane with gusts to 23 mph tonight. Lighter winds of 6 to 11 mph arrive this afternoon.

The winds could be stronger in North Idaho near the Purcell Trench, which provides an opening to the north for the modified arctic air to enter the region.

Sandpoint may see gusts to 33 mph Tuesday night and 30 mph on Wednesday.

Coeur d’Alene should see winds blowing around 17 mph with gusts to 24 mph tonight.

Also, areas south of the Okanogan Valley will also see stronger winds.

The winds should ease a little on Wednesday, but continue into late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Thursday morning could see wind chills, or the feeling of the cold on the skin, dropping to the single digits.

After a low of 22 Tuesday night in Spokane, an area of high pressure stabilizes the weather, but also sets the stage for lows in the teens through the rest of the week.

A potential for a strong temperature inversion could trap wood smoke in the lower atmosphere by Friday and on the weekend, causing air pollution levels to rise.

Freezing fog may also hamper travel across the Columbia Basin later in the week. Patchy freezing fog is expected in the Spokane area and North Idaho.

As for snowfall, the Spokane region has received around an inch, but Coeur d’Alene could see up to two inches by the time the snow band exits. Forecasters said as much as 4 inches fell in areas to the north.

Mountain areas and higher elevations are also seeing greater accumulations, forecasters said.

Schweitzer Mountain Resort reported 3 inches of new snow this morning with 3 more expected. The ski area said it would open some areas of the mountain for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

In Chewelah, 49 Degrees North ski area also had 3 inches of new snow with more expected. It currently does not have enough snow to open.

Air quality in the Spokane area was good on Tuesday morning, but in the moderate range in North Idaho.