SPOKANE, Wash. — Warmer temperatures return to the Inland Northwest in the days to come, but that might not be a good thing. The temperature swing comes with an influx of moisture. What starts as snow will turn into freezing rain then eventually rain, each element having its own unique problems.
Snow will change to freezing rain for parts of the Inland Northwest Friday night, mainly the Palouse and south-central Washington. By Saturday morning the freezing rain spreads north to Highway 2. That means Spokane, Spokane International Airport, and most of I-90 through Washington will be coated in enough ice to cause even more travel woe.
The freezing rain starts early in the morning and lasts through much of the day. From Spokane and the Palouse to the foothills of the Cascades about a tenth of an inch will accumulate, with some locations picking up even more. Most of that will stay along highway 2 and south into Oregon. That means I-90, Highway 2, and 395 will face icy conditions through much of Christmas Eve before temperatures climb enough to cause widespread ice-melt.
Christmas day looks a little better. Temperatures will climb to near 40 degrees in Spokane and many of the lower elevation communities of the Inland Northwest. That means it is all rain that falls heading into the final week of the year. The rain will be scattered and lighter on Sunday, not having as big of an impact on travel. But another push of moisture arriving to start the week is a different story.
Right now, forecast models suggest another round of rain arriving early Tuesday will be heavier and more widespread. The widespread showers are expect to last through Wednesday and some models are suggesting the better part of an inch of rain will fall on Spokane and the Inland Northwest. That much rain would be a big deal if it were in the summer.
That much rain falling on top of the snow, frozen ground, and frozen drains is a whole new beast. Localized ponding and flooding are likely from the rain and melting snow. Deep puddles in roads and flooding basements will be a concern through much of next week with that kind of warmth and rain.
The extended forecast keeps us mild, but it looks like we traded the bitter cold for a lot of mid-winter rain as we close out 2022.
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