Winter’s last breath: Spokane could see 1-3 inches of snow by Monday morning

A band of potentially heavy snow could strike somewhere between the greater Spokane area and the Palouse between Sunday night and Monday morning, bringing up to 3 inches of snow as winter makes a desperate attempt to overstay its welcome.

Where exactly the snow will fall was unclear on Sunday, but meteorologists at the National Weather Service said that a narrow band of potentially heavy snow was traveling from the west into the Spokane area and the Palouse.

The snow could make for a potentially slick and slushy commute on Monday as temperatures drop below freezing overnight.

“Don’t be surprised if Spokane or Coeur d’Alene or Pullman have accumulated snow on the roads for the morning commute,” National Weather Service meteorologist Chad Shafer said. “The snow is expected to be in a relatively small area. It will essentially be moving through southeastern Washington.”

Other nearby areas will likely see an inch or less of snow, he said.

Temperatures are expected to remain cool early this week, with highs in the 40s. However, temperatures will begin to moderate by Wednesday, the weather service said.

“We could see some 60s by next weekend,” Shafer said.

April snow isn’t uncommon in Spokane. Last year, an inch-and-a-half was recorded at Spokane International Airport on April 14.

The latest Spokane has seen snow was on May 21, 2004, when 0.4 inches were recorded at the airport, according to National Weather Service records.