SPOKANE, Wash. — The Inland Northwest will see a multitude of winter weather elements leading up to the holiday weekend, including more snow and sub-zero temperatures.
From snow to well below freezing temps, Winter Weather Advisories and Winter Storm Warnings are in place for eastern Washington and North Idaho leading up to Friday morning.
Spokane is forecasted to break weather records the area has not seen since February of 2011. The overnight low temperatures on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be near or below zero degrees.
Thursday morning will be the coldest day with temperatures well below zero degrees, coming in at -10 to -15 degrees.
As temperatures drop, those exposed to the cold without significant shelter are at a serious risk. Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer says crews are stopping to help the region's homeless population seek shelter during sub-zero weather.
"We're not going to pass a human being that is out in this weather," Schaeffer said. "We'll stop, we'll check on them, let them know what's coming and this is just the beginning."
Young children are also at risk. Kim Resleff, a nurse practitioner at Centennial Pediatrics says they can develop frostbite and hypothermia more quickly than adults since they are much smaller. She recommends dressing kids in multiple thin layers. If they start to shiver, it's time to come inside.
Resleff says once temperatures drop below -15 degrees, children shouldn't be playing outside at all.
On top of the frigid temps, wind chills are expected to be as cold as -35 degrees on Thursday morning, making it feel even colder. This has prompted a Wind Chill Watch for Tuesday night to Friday morning, though it will likely be upgraded to a Wind Chill Warning in an update from National Weather Service (NWS) Spokane on Tuesday night.
Wind chills will be present Tuesday night into Friday morning with temperatures below zero.
To monitor winter weather alerts in the Inland Northwest, click here.
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