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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

South Spokane County gets up to 10 inches of April snow; rain, warmer weather coming

A dusting of spring snow covered Spokane on Monday morning, but for some areas of southern Spokane County it felt more like winter.

A band of snow dumped 6 to 10 inches across communities in southern Spokane County between Sunday night and Monday , according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service forecast a narrow and somewhat unpredictable band of snow Sunday that left between 1 to 3 inches throughout the greater Spokane area and the Palouse. Meteorologists were surprised that some Palouse towns got 10 inches.

That snow band struck in an arc-shaped formation between Sprague, Spangle, Fairfield and Latah, National Weather Service meteorologist Krysta Carrothers said. Each area within that region reported anywhere between 6 and 10 inches of snow by 9 a.m. Monday, she said.

The snow started falling Sunday evening around Spangle but it dissipated by 1 a.m., Carrothers said. However, another round picked up by 3 a.m. as the snow band began to “sag” farther south.

Other areas between Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and Pullman received anywhere between a half-inch and 3 inches, Carrothers said. Much of that melted by 10:30 a.m., she said.

April snow is not uncommon but the region this year has received more than double the average total April snowfall , Carrothers said. April usually delivers about 0.7 inches but snowfall is already up to 1.74 inches at the Spokane International Airport, she said.

The snow will turn to rain with a quarter-inch to a half-inch forecast for Thursday through Saturday, followed by warmer weather.

Temperatures could reach into the high 60s, and possibly even 70 degrees, next Monday, Carrothers said.