Friday will be cloudy and generally dry in much of the Inland Northwest with a chance of snow flurries, increasing in the afternoon, leading to heavier snow falling in the evening and overnight. Snow or a snow/rain mix will continue periodically through the weekend. Forecasters expect the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene area to receive between one and three inches overall.
The Methow Valley and Washington Cascades will receive heavier snow Friday night and Saturday. The National Weather Service predicts 4-8” Friday night and another 3-5” inches Saturday. Snow will continue through Sunday, but with only another or two of accumulation.
The Cascade Mountain passes will receive huge amounts of snow over the weekend, making cross-state travel difficult at times. The weather service forecasts Snoqualmie Pass to receive 5-9” on Friday, 4-8” on Saturday, 7-11” overnight Saturday and 3-7” on Sunday.
Central Washington (Wenatchee, Yakima) will see a rain/snow mix Friday evening and very little snow accumulation through the weekend. The Tri-Cities and Walla Walla will see only rain and temperatures warming into the mid-to-high 50s on Saturday. Gusty winds will blow throughout the weekend.
In north Idaho, rain is forecast throughout the weekend in the Lewiston area. The northern part of the Panhandle will receive snow, heavy in the Sandpoint/Bonners Ferry areas. Sandpoint is forecast to receive 3-5” Friday night into Saturday, another 5-9” Saturday and 2-4” Saturday night. Bonners Ferry will receive a bit less.
Winds will pick up tonight and continue blowing on Saturday, with gusts expected in the 30-45 mph range in the Columbia Basin, a little less in the northern tier of Washington and north Idaho. Winds will diminish on Sunday.