Weekend weather: Frigid temperatures blanket region
The coldest weather in nearly three years is about to pay a visit to the Inland Northwest, but it comes after the mountains got enough snow to kick off the winter recreation season.
Developed ski areas are reporting 3-4 feet of snowpack following a prolonged storm last weekend.
More snow is forecast in parts of the region on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
A frontal system was expected to move northward from Oregon on Wednesday night and drop varying amounts of snow across the region with snow continuing early Thursday.
The front was going to moderate temperatures back to the upper teens with a low near 10 on Thursday night.
But the more serious weather comes in the form of a new push of arctic air over the weekend.
A new push of arctic air is expected to follow the frontal system and send temperatures to about 10 degrees on Thursday night and then minus 2 on Friday in Spokane.
The frigid air will stick around on Saturday when the high will struggle to get to 10. The low Saturday night should be near zero to 2 degrees.
Snow cover creates conditions for extra cold temperatures at night, especially if there are no clouds or wind.
The last time the temperature fell below zero in Spokane was on Feb. 6, 2014, when the low dropped to minus 5.
Temperatures should moderate starting on Sunday and into next week, but the chance of more snow arrives with the rebound, with snow showers possible on Sunday and more snow early next week.
Spokane could reach the lower 30s by Tuesday.
Spokane International Airport had received 9.1 inches of snow so far as of Wednesday, which is 3.9 inches below normal for the season.
Of that, 5.8 inches fell in December through Wednesday.
December precipitation is well below normal at 0.37 inches compared with a normal of 1.04 inches through Tuesday.
But snow has piled up in the mountains, thanks to the lingering effects of last weekend’s storm.
Lookout Pass ski area reported 81 inches at the summit and 73 inches at the lodge, the deepest snowpack of the five resorts in the region.