SPOKANE, Wash. — Following 2.2 inches of snow in Spokane Thursday night into Friday morning, a big shift in the weather pattern arrives this weekend.
Warmer weather is in the forecast this weekend following a week of cold temperatures and snow. By early next week, temperatures will trend warm enough that a lot of snow around Spokane will melt away.
Rain, wind, and temperatures near 50 degrees are a long way from the winter weather that took place this past week. Our recent round of light, fluffy snow bumped the total for the month to 7.2 inches of snow in Spokane officially. That's more snow than Spokane typically sees during the entire month of February.
Following Thursday night and Friday morning's snow, a few showers will linger across the Inland Northwest. Those will last into the late morning in Coeur d'Alene and the afternoon in the mountains.
Despite the snow coming to an end, the aftermath will linger. Temperatures will struggle to climb above freezing, meaning a bulk of the snow will linger on side streets and slush on the arterials.
Temperatures will fall below freezing Saturday morning, potentially causing more ice to form on roads from the refreezing of melting snow.
For those looking to take advantage of recent snow, road conditions will be something to watch. In town, hills are primed for sledding. In the mountains there is plenty of fresh snow to ski.
Sunday is the day the warmup will be noticeable. Temperatures will climb into the 40s for the first time since the first week of February. A little morning rain precipitation could turn from snow to rain as temperatures rise.
Strong Southwesterly wind will will do a number to our temperatures as we start next week. A few scattered showers and wind gusts up over 30 miles per hour will bump our temperatures into the upper 40s by Monday.
If it weren't for the snow, it's likely temperatures would climb even higher.
The mild weather sticks around to start next week. Temperatures will remain near 40 degrees through the first half of the week. About where they should be this time of year.
But enjoy it while it lasts, long range models suggest the return of cold to much of the inland northwest in the weeks to come.