Weathercatch: Seven days of weather that only the Grinch could love

Christmastime weather in the Inland Northwest did not bring us cheer. In a mere seven-day span, we experienced a wintry shock of frigid cold and heavy snow, freezing rain and icy pavements, and then a big thaw, winds and rain.

It was a turbulent and flip-floppy weather pattern that left us wondering if the Grinch himself hadn’t delivered it.

One afternoon we’re shivering in an arctic air mass, the next we’re shoveling snow. One day we’re chipping ice off our car windshields, the next we’re dodging puddles left by rain and melting snow.

Travelers trying to reach holiday destinations faced dicey weather as well.

At Spokane International Airport, many flights were delayed and some canceled.

Motorists contended with slippery roadways as snow plows worked to keep up with two days of snowfall.

On Friday, a state-operated snow plow was rear-ended by a driver on Interstate 90 west of Spokane. “Please slow down as snow continues and give our plows space,” the Washington State Department of Transportation urged in a tweet.

From bitter cold that originated in Siberia to unseasonable warmth and rain that originated near Hawaii, here’s a look at the remarkable weather that impacted us:

Dec. 20: Spokane recorded a high of 16 degrees and a low of minus 3, which is 22 degrees below normal for that date. Also, 2.7 inches of snow fell, raising the snow depth at Spokane International Airport to 15 inches. As much as 6 inches fell in Chelan, Washington.

Dec. 21: Colder but drier with a brisk breeze from the northeast as the arctic air mass fully infiltrated the region.

Dec. 22: The coldest date of 2022, with a high of only 4 degrees in Spokane and a low of minus 10, making the temperature 31 degrees below normal. Communities struck by the most frigid weather included Pullman, with a low of minus-20 degrees, and Omak, Washington, with a low of minus 9 and a high of only 1 degree.

Friday: You know it has been cold when a high of 10 degrees and a low of 2 is considered warmer. It also snowed another 1.7 inches in Spokane and 2.2 inches in Mazama, Washington, bringing that community’s snow depth to 27 inches.

Saturday: A wintry mix of light snow, freezing rain and sleet. Extremely icy conditions closed both directions of I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass and U.S. Highway 2 over Stevens Pass.

Sunday: Merry Christmas! Continued warming led to periods of freezing rain across much of the region, resulting in slippery roadways and a layer of ice on parked vehicles.

Monday: Dreary skies with 0.46 inches of rainfall and a high temperature of 45 degrees. An atmospheric river – a long plume of heavy moisture and warm air carried by strong winds from the tropical Pacific Ocean – made landfall on the Washington coast as a major storm. Overnight, it began making its way across the Cascades and into the eastern half of the state.

Tuesday: Courtesy of the atmospheric river, temperatures that had plunged to a high of 4 degrees only five days earlier hit 46 degrees, and with it, more than a half-inch of rain fell. The rainfall coupled with rapid snowmelt led to pooling water on roads and localized flooding in parts of Spokane County, southeast Washington and the lower Idaho Panhandle. Gusty conditions arrived early in the afternoon and increased through the day, bringing sustained winds of 30 mph to the Spokane area and gusts topping 40 mph.

We got a little bit of a break Tuesday afternoon as the atmospheric river tapered off and conditions turned more temperate. Cooler temperatures Thursday and Friday could lead to a mix of rain and snow or a round of straight snow. Even so, the final days of 2022 are expected to be far tamer than those surrounding Christmas.

Nic Loyd is a meteorologist in Washington state. Linda Weiford is a writer in Moscow, Idaho, who’s also a weather geek. Contact: ldweiford@gmail.com.