SPOKANE, Wash. — A winter storm brought three inches of snow to Spokane overnight into Wednesday morning.
Moderate snow fell throughout the Wednesday morning commute before a gradual change to rain for areas south of Interstate 90.
Areas such as Lookout Pass could see up to eight inches of snow through Wednesday afternoon.
Leaders with the Washington State Department of Transportation said their plows were making passes of I-90 and downtown Spokane on Wednesday morning before moving on to .
City of Spokane crews are also working to deice, sand and plow roads on Wednesday morning, focusing first on arterials, hills and school routes.
Crews worked through the night to improve road conditions, the city wrote on Twitter.
The snowfall prompted delays at schools around the Inland Northwest, with Washington State University in Pullman canceling school on Wednesday.
Spokane Public Schools announced on Wednesday morning that the district would open on time.
Temperatures should warm into the upper 30s by Wednesday afternoon, bringing a changeover from snow to rain for the valleys.
The beginning of the week is bringing colder weather, with near seasonal temperatures. Highs are expected to sit in the upper 20s and 30s, while lows will sit in the teens and 20s.
More widespread warming by five to ten degrees is expected around the Inland Northwest on Thursday and Friday. Noorani said temperatures should rebound into the mid to upper 40s during the second half of the week, with some scattered rain showers.
Average high temperatures for the Spokane area during this time of year typically sit in the mid-40s. Temperature readings will be eight to 10 degrees above average by the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service Spokane.
Mountain snow remains in the forecast through the weekend, NWS said.
January was a wet and snowy one in Spokane, with the Lilac City breaking a record for the most days of rain or snow.
It rained or snowed on 29 out of 31 days in January. The previous record was 26 of the 31 days in January set in 1890.