Up to an inch of snow to fall in Spokane overnight Sunday, strong winds expected

Wet snow and rain is expected to fall in the area overnight Sunday, but forecasters predict it shouldn’t severely affect the morning commute around Spokane.

“The roads are a little bit on the warmer side,” said Charlotte Dewey, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane.

A front is expected to move over the Cascade mountains after 8 pm Sunday headed east toward Spokane. Strong winds and snow should arrive thereafter in Eastern Washington, with the heaviest gusts of between 40 and 45 mph possible near Pullman in southeast Washington, forecasters say.

An inch of snow is likely to fall in Spokane, with heavier totals predicted in North Idaho and on the mountain passes. Lookout Pass could receive up to a foot of snow by Monday afternoon.

It’s likely the best shot for precipitation Spokane will see over the next few days, Dewey said.

“We may see some corridors later on,” she said. “This is probably the best chance for anything measurable.”

A winter weather advisory has been issued through 6 am Monday for areas of Stevens, Pend Oreille and northern Spokane counties, as well as North Idaho.

After starting the month with several days of snow, the end of January has been relatively dry, with just 0.2 inches of snow measured since Jan. 7. However, monthly snowfall for January is close to the average for Spokane, with 11 inches recorded at Spokane International Airport. A typical January in Spokane sees 11.7 inches of snow.

Daytime temperatures are expected to stay in the upper 20s and lower 30s this week, with the coldest night of the week coming overnight Tuesday. The low is forecasted to be 13 degrees overnight, with a light north wind. Patchy fog is also possible in the morning.