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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Live Updates: Spokane launches round-the-clock, full city plow

Drivers head down the South Hill near the intersection of 17th and Ray on November 30, 2022.  (Rob Kauder/The Spokesman-Review)

2:03 p.m.

Big sigh of relief for people trying to get over the pass but keep in mind winter is just getting started. 

Meanwhile, there’s a little relief in sight in the weather forecast. According to the National Weather Service here’s how things are shaping up over the next 24 hours.   

This Afternoon
Snow. High near 32. Southwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
 
Tonight
Snow likely, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. South wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
 
Thursday
A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 30. Southwest wind around 7 mph. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

1:13 p.m

Roadway partially open along I-90 through downtown Spokane. 

12:47 p.m. 

Road conditions are extremely dicey out there. There have been multiple incidents involving slideoffs and jack knifed trucks along the freeway today.

11:53 a.m.

The City of Spokane has announced it will be conducting a round-the-clock full city plow due to the ongoing snow storm. Starting arterials and hills to keep them clear, the city estimates it will start working in other residential areas on Thursday. 

“Under the City’s snow response plan, a full-City plow reaching all 2,200 lane miles of streets should take about three days to complete once it stops snowing,” according to a press release from the city.

Additionally, the city’s 311 system has been flooded with requests and, as a result, “My Spokane 311 is no longer able to refer senior and disabled residents who need assistance with residential snow removal. Residents are encouraged to help their neighbors, friends and family who are not able to clear their sidewalks and driveways.”

11:23 a.m.

Remember to give plows space to work while driving out on the roads.

10:12 a.m. 

Eastbound I-90 has reopened over Snoqualmie Pass, but now the westbound lanes are closed at Cle Elum and Ellensburg due to collisions.

9:12 a.m.

The skating ribbon and SkyRide at Riverfront Park are closed today due to the snow storm.

8:31 a.m.

Road crews are making progress around the region, however don’t be this guy. 

7:45 a.m.

7:33 a.m.

WSP reports several collisions, slide offs this morning. Expect number of collisions to rise as more people head out on the roads for their morning commutes.

7:18 a.m.

Underscoring earlier reports from WSDOT about conditions along I-90 outside of Spokane facing drifting snow.

SRTMC is reporting multiple collisions along westbound I-90 near the US 2 exit at the top of Sunset Hill. Check out current road conditions and live traffic feeds on the SRTMC website here.

6:54 a.m.

WSDOT reporting drifting snow along Interstate 90 outside of Spokane.

6:28 p.m.

WSDOT, Spokane road crews up early this morning. Remember to give them ample following distance if you see them on the road. 

5:46 a.m.

Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass closed eastbound. Chains required westbound.

As more notifications roll in, a list of school closures is available here. 

5:30 a.m.

Spokane Public Schools, ahead of planned announcement at 6 a.m., announces school closure. “Heavy snow is expected to continue impacting road conditions, visibility & walking routes. For safety of students & staff, SPS will close schools today, Nov. 30, including all scheduled events & afterschool activities.”

Moments earlier, Central Valley School District announced closure “[d]ue to expected snowfall, wind & drifting.”

5:13 a.m.

“All classes and non-essential services on the WSU Spokane campus will be suspended today, November 30, due to inclement weather. Operations are presumed to return to normal on December 1, unless communicated to the WSU Spokane community.”

Wednesday 5:04 a.m.

Lind Ritzville Schools operating on a two-hour late start schedule.

Tuesday 10:30 p.m.

“In light of the latest weather reports predicting the timing of the storm, Eastern Washington University will suspend operations, our formal name for closure, on Wednesday, Nov. 30.  We want to give students, faculty and staff as much advance notice as possible to eliminate issues in the morning.” ~Dave Meany, EWU Media Relations

Tuesday 8 p.m.

East Valley School District announces 90-minute late start for Wednesday but will reassess the situation in the morning.

Through the National Weather Service, we have been monitoring the incoming storm for the past couple of days. I am opting to send you this message this evening as we would like for you to be able to make plans accordingly. Local snowfall is expected to begin this evening and throughout the day tomorrow (Wed) with an accumulation that varies between 8 and 12 or more inches. Though concerned about the morning commute, we are more worried about what may come during the day tomorrow. If the experts are correct, we will wake up to a lot of snow with much more to come. With the information that we have at this time, we have determined that we need to make the call for a 90-minute delay tomorrow (Wednesday, Nov 30). We will go about our normal assessment of roads and routes early tomorrow morning to determine if having school is possible. 

AM Preschool is canceled, All day preschool will start 90 minutes late and PM preschool will be on the normal schedule for tomorrow.

Tuesday 5:59 p.m.

Inland Power announces offices will be closed and staff will be working from home. 

Tuesday 5:50 p.m.

The Coeur d’Alene School District announced in an email to parents that schools would be closed Wednesday. 

“After reviewing the latest winter storm warning from the National Weather Service, and consulting with our Transportation and Maintenance teams, Superintendent Shon Hocker has decided it’s best to cancel school tomorrow (Wednesday) due to the sustained heavy snowfall expected tonight and especially tomorrow throughout the day. All students will be excused for the day, and all after-school activities are canceled.
Making this call the night before is not our standard practice, but the timing of this storm raises unique safety concerns with transportation for both morning and afternoon commute times. Forecasts indicate we may see as much as 10 inches of snow tomorrow. Our primary concern is the afternoon commute home for buses, student and family drivers, and students who walk.”

Additionally, the Community Colleges of Spokane preemptively closed down campuses on Wednesday.

Tuesday 5:18 p.m.

Spokane Public Schools announces it will wait until Wednesday morning to announce whether or not schools would be closed.

Tuesday 3:30 p.m.

Spokane International Airport issues alert to warn travelers of possible impacts to flights due to the incoming storm.

Tuesday 2:49 p.m.

National Weather Service forecast for Wednesday through Friday. 

City of Spokane Residential Snow Plow Updates and Neighborhood Routes

Click here to see the City of Spokane’s snow plow route map, which indicates areas where they are currently plowing.

You can also see the city’s Neighborhood Routes map below.