Snow, wind and cold to hit through Monday as ‘Arctic front’ moves into Inland Northwest

A cold front moving through the Inland Northwest is expected to bring snow, wind and single-digit temperatures, in that order, through early next week, according to the National Weather Service.

Snow was anticipated Thursday night through Friday morning, primarily in the Cascade Crest and Idaho Panhandle, with up to a foot at Lookout Pass by the end of Friday, National Weather Service meteorologist Miranda Cote said.

Spokane and Coeur d’Alene are expected to see 1-3 inches on Friday with more snow farther east, Cote said. Some rain could be mixed in as well, she said.

There will likely be scattered snow throughout the Inland Northwest on Saturday as well as strong winds from an arctic front, the weather service reported. The winds will be strongest in the Columbia Basin, with gusts between 40-50 mph. The Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas could see gusts between 35-45.

Simultaneously, low temperatures will begin to drop into the teens and 20s on Saturday, Cote said. Wind chills on Saturday could bring temperatures between 10 and 20 below zero.

Flash freezes, strong winds, reduced visibility and potentially slick roads could cause delays on Saturday, according to the weather service.

“Sunday and Monday are the coldest days with highs in the teens and lows in the single digits, with some negatives in the northern valleys,” Cote said.

Temperatures were expected to drop across the region, with highs mostly in the teens and 20s, and lows in the single digits or teens.

The wind will die down by Monday, but temperatures for that day are expected to drop further, with lows at zero or below in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, Pullman and Republic, Washington, among other cities.

The temperatures on Sunday and Monday will be about 20-25 degrees colder than normal for this time of year, Cote said. Temperatures are expected to moderate back to normal by Wednesday and Thursday.