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Weather service issues winter storm warning for Inland Northwest on Monday night

Snow covers the streets and sidewalks on Riverside Avenue on Friday, Dec. 23, 2016, in downtown Spokane. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
Snow covers the streets and sidewalks on Riverside Avenue on Friday, Dec. 23, 2016, in downtown Spokane. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)Buy a print of this photo
By Kip Hill kiphillreporter@gmail.com(509) 459-5429

Motorists headed back to work Tuesday after the long holiday weekend will have several new inches of snow to deal with, forecasters say.

The National Weather Service in Spokane upgraded its winter storm watch, effective at 6 p.m. Monday, to a winter storm warning, based on the near certainty of heavy snowfall. Forecasters say there is a 100 percent chance of snow overnight, with new accumulation totals of between 3 inches and 5 inches possible in low-lying areas of Eastern Washington and more possible in the mountains.

Steve Bodnar, a weather service meteorologist, said the heaviest snow will likely fall between midnight and 4 a.m. Tuesday. The winter storm warning is set to expire at 8 a.m.

“It should come down hard and heavy for about three hours, and bring a bulk of accumulation,” Bodnar said.

Snowplows worked on Christmas in Spokane, performing a full-city plow ahead of the expected Monday weather. De-icing crews were dispatched throughout Spokane Valley on Sunday night, according to a news release from the city.

In addition to snow, forecasters predict wind gusts of up to 30 mph, creating the potential of blowing, blinding snow during the peak of the storm. Bodnar said the greatest chance for blowing snow is southwest of the Spokane metro area.

Areas of North Idaho and the panhandle will likely receive more snow, somewhere around 4 inches to 8 inches of fresh accumulation in low-lying areas, because the storm is expected to last longer there. The winter storm warning for portions of Idaho lasts until 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Temperatures around the region are expected to remain in the high 20s and lower 30s through Friday. Wednesday will be partly sunny in Spokane with light winds up to 13 mph, then a chance of snow returns Thursday with minor additional accumulations expected.

Trace amounts of snow were reported in Spokane on Christmas, according to the National Weather Service. Five inches of snow is already on the ground at the Spokane International Airport monitoring station, according to the weather service.