SPOKANE, Wash. — An incoming storm will bring strong wind, rain and heavy mountain snow to the Northwest early next week. It’s the perfect combination of atmospheric elements that will bring about one of the stronger storms the region has seen in months. Wind will gust to near 50 mph across the Inland Northwest with some areas picking up more than 2 feet of snow.
It all starts Sunday. While it will be dry and pleasant in the Inland Northwest, atmospheric drama will unfold to the west. A strong storm moving out of the Pacific will hit British Columbia. The storm itself is rather impressive, but the help it gets is why the impacts will be so major. To the south, the jet stream will bring a direct tap of Pacific moisture to the Northwest. The position and strength of the jet will also enhance wind speed as a front sweeps the region Monday.
Rain and snow start Sunday on the West side. Widespread rain totals will top an inch in low elevations with a few spots picking up more than 2 inches by the time it comes to an end on Tuesday. That is enough to cause some flood concerns, especially with an early snow melt taking place in the mountains. When it comes to the mountains, some serious snow will fall as the storm moves in.
A winter storm watch is in place for the Cascade Crest Sunday through Monday. Storm totals will top out at 18 to 30 inches of snow over Snoqualmie and Stevens passes early next week. That is enough to have major impacts on Spring Break travel for anyone driving to or from the west side.
Across the Inland Northwest, the impacts won’t be as significant as what the west side and Cascades see, but it will be incredible, nonetheless. A few tenths of an inch of rain is possible in low elevations through Tuesday. In the mountains, 6 to 10 inches of snow isn’t out of the question by the time it ends Monday. To exacerbate the impacts, the wind and rain comes with some strong wind.
The placement of the jet stream overhead will increase wind as the cold front moves through Monday. Widespread across the Northwest, wind gusts will near 40 to 50 miles per hour. Wind gusts of that magnitude are enough cause minor tree damage and a few power outages.
With the placement of the jet, wind will stay gusty through Tuesday. Gusts near 35 miles per hour might not be enough to cause any additional damage, but it will have it feeling a bit blustery throughout the day.
As the storm and front move out, conditions will improve drastically across the Northwest. Atmospheric ridging will clear skies out through the middle of the week and start a steady warmup. By the second half of the first week of April, temperatures will feel more like the first week of May with temps climbing into the 60s once again.