‘Last hoorah before spring’: High winds and mountain snow are cause for caution around Spokane area

As the days grow longer and warmer, an incoming storm front looks to bring back colder weather, high winds and substantial snowpack to some slopes in the region.

Steve Bodnar, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane, said strong winds expected to develop Wednesday evening would persist overnight. He said residents, especially those living in the South Hill, West Plains and Five Mile areas, could expect gusts between 40 and 50 mph, with a chance for isolated gusts up to 60 mph between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.

But the peak of the windstorm, Bodnar said, was expected to start at 11 p.m. and last until early Thursday morning with sustained winds of 30 to 45 mph and gusts between 50 and 70 mph.

“Widespread power outages are possible. Please secure loose outdoor items now and prepare for outages. Sleep in an interior room,” the weather service’s Spokane office advised on X.

The strong winds may be reminiscent of the infamous November 2015 windstorm, which saw gusts reach 71 mph.

“They do have similar speeds,” Bodnar said. “We have been trying to look at some of the comparisons. That was, in 2015, a longer duration, and it also occurred in the late afternoon and evening, as far as the peak wind speeds. These (upcoming wind gusts) are going to be overnight. So that adds some uncertainty, as far as how many hours we could see those strongest gusts.”

After that, wind speeds are expected to taper, yet still be breezy, as the week progresses.

Temperatures on Wednesday night were expected to remain above freezing in the lower elevations because of the winds. Bodnar said temperatures in the mid-30s were expected across northern valleys, while Spokane stretching to the Palouse should stay in the upper 30s Wednesday night.

“At least through the weekend, looking at highs in the 40s, and then overnight lows in the 30s,” Bodnar said. “But dropping down closer to freezing as we get into Saturday and Sunday.”

Once the new week rolls around, Bodnar said temperatures are expected to jump into the upper 50s on Monday and the lower 60s the following day.

Bodnar said the projected snowfall won’t impact much in the lowlands, but the mountains are expected to receive moderate to heavy snow.

“Particularly the Idaho Panhandle, impacting Lookout Pass,” Bodnar said. “And then the Cascade Crest, impacting Snoqualmie and Stevens Pass.”

He said Stevens Pass has already received more than a foot of snow but could expect an additional 2 to 3 feet from now until Friday. At Lookout Pass, Bodnar said there’s a 70% chance of 1 to 2 feet of snow and another 40% chance that they get 2 to 3 feet of snow from the storm. Places like Mt. Spokane and 49 Degrees North can expect 4 to 8 inches through Friday. Schweitzer Mountain and the mountains close to Bonners Ferry may see 10 to 20 inches.

Jeff Colburn, the general manager at Silver Mountain, said they could get a couple of feet of snow by Friday night. He said one last big snowstorm is not uncommon for March.

“People can enjoy some very late powder,” Colburn said. “But powder is powder, no matter what time of year it is.”

Rick Brown, the head of skier and rider experience at 49 Degrees North, said it’s been snowing steadily and that they’re expecting “at least a couple inches over the next few days.”

He said their biggest concern when it comes to the weather is the prevalence of high winds. The direction of the gust and how sustained the wind is affects their operation, but Brown highlighted it “takes some pretty significant winds” to alter their setup. Still, they will be monitoring the situation closely as the winds pick up and will make necessary adjustments to their program as needed.

As of 3 p.m. on Wednesday, 78 of their 90 runs were open, with a possibility for more to open with a “pretty decent snowfall.”

Jim van Loben Sels, the general manager at Mt. Spokane, said this is the “last hurrah before spring really shows itself.” He said they’re expecting somewhere between 5 and 10 inches between Wednesday and Friday night.

After this weekend, van Loben Sels said, they are planning on closing for the season, so he is encouraging everyone to get out and enjoy the snowpack while they still can. In most years, because they have a reliable reserve of snow to pile on top of the existing snowpack, they are usually open until the first or second week of April. This year, however, they have already exhausted their reserves. When it comes to weather conditions, similar to Brown, his biggest concern is the wind.

Matt Sawyer, the director of marketing at Lookout Pass, said they’re looking to get 32 inches of additional snow between Wednesday and Saturday. In the past 72 hours, as of Wednesday at 2 p.m., Lookout Pass received 17 inches of snow. The third weekend in April is their target closing date, but he said a year like this, with such little snowfall, means the season might not last that long. Currently, 49 runs are open during the week, and six additional runs are expected to open for this weekend.

If you are a skier or snowboarder looking to hit the powder one last time, this weekend may be the last perfect opportunity. But before loading up any gear or taking any trips up foreboding, winding mountains, it is a good idea to check the wind and weather conditions, as well as webcams, many of which can be found on the websites of the aforementioned resorts.