SPOKANE, Wash. — Travel could be tricky this weekend thanks to a chance of rain and snow in the forecast.
According to weather models, snow is expected to reach the northern Cascade Mountains late Friday night and then into the lowlands very early on Saturday. The snow is then expected to spill into Spokane and North Idaho not long after.
According to the National Weather Service, about one to two inches of snow are expected for Spokane and about two to three inches are in the forecast for Coeur d’Alene from Friday night until early Sunday morning.
NWS is also predicting northern Idaho and the northern Cascades to get most of the snow accumulation. Both Winthrop and Bonner’s Ferry could see about four to six inches, while Sandpoint could have between six to eight inches.
Saturday night could see some of the snow turn into rain, especially south of Davenport to the Tri-Cities and Pullman.
Light freezing rain is also possible for the Columbia Basin late Saturday morning, according to NWS.
NWS says the forecasted winter weather could mean a tough time traveling over the passes, along with low visibility and compact snow and ice on the roads.
This comes after slick roads led to headaches for drivers during the Thursday evening and Friday morning commutes. Road crews are slowly starting to get the upper hand on icy roads around the Spokane area on Friday afternoon, though some side streets still remain icy.
The Spokane Police Department (SPD) issued an emergency alert at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday requesting residents to limit their driving if at all possible due to extremely icy road conditions. SPD responded to more than 100 accidents on Thursday. In a Facebook post, they reminded drivers to leave early, slow down and be patient while driving.
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