Almost 60 car crashes reported amid first big Spokane snowfall

Nearly 60 vehicle crashes accompanied the first major winter storm of the year, according to the Spokane Police Department.

Fifty-nine noninjury, injury and hit-and-run collisions were reported Tuesday through early Wednesday afternoon, according to Officer Daniel Strassenberg, spokesman for the department. He said the number seemed fairly normal for the first heavy snow of the year.

Strassenberg reminded drivers on slick roads to limit travel, reduce speed, increase driving distance between cars, provide extra time to travel to their destination and be alert when driving near snowplows.

Three inches of snow fell Tuesday night through Wednesday morning at the Spokane International Airport, according to Rachael Fewkes, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Spokane office. About 1½ to 2 inches fell in the Spokane area, and about 2½ inches fell in the Coeur d’Alene area. Lewiston received just under 6 inches, she said.

A trace amount fell late Wednesday morning until 4 p.m. at the airport, and about a ½ inch was recorded from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the weather service office north of Fairchild Air Force Base, according to Miranda Cote, meteorologist at the weather service.

Another round of snow Wednesday night and Thursday morning was expected to bring 1 to 2 inches in the Spokane region, 2 to 3 inches in the Coeur d’Alene and Kellogg areas, and 2 inches in Sandpoint, Fewkes said.

She said the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene metro area should be relatively dry the rest of the week and weekend, with possible light snow showers.

“(Tuesday) was really the big storm of the week,” she said.

Fewkes said the region could experience the coldest temperatures of the season next week with potential single-digit and below-zero temperatures.