Expect freezing rain north and west of Spokane this weekend; sun unlikely anytime soon

Spokane drivers should be careful when traveling this weekend, especially on the West Plains or north of Mead.

Spokane County is under a winter weather advisory, but the most dangerous areas are not in the City of Spokane itself. Beginning in the mid- to late morning Saturday, expect freezing rain west and north of the city that continues for much of the day.

According to the National Weather Service, freezing rain will be most intense in Colbert to the north and on the drive to Davenport to the west. The freezing rain may turn to snow late Saturday evening, though it is not anticipated to snow more than a half-inch over the next week.

Spokane will continue with low cloud cover and a freezing drizzle that it has seen most of this week. Some parts of the city “might see a little bit of sun” Sunday afternoon, NWS meteorologist Laurie Nisbet said. But cloud cover and freezing drizzle will likely return for all of next week.

“Unfortunately, it is just that time of year,” she said.

The low cloud cover and the freezing rain are caused by a high amount of pressure above the clouds, which is forcing the clouds into the lowlands of the area. Because this layer of clouds is so low in the sky, rain is falling from higher up where it is warmer, but then freezing near the ground.

“Everything is trapped close to the surface, and the pressure is acting as a lid. Everything is so moist, and all that stuff is just sloshing around in the lowlands,” Nisbet said.

That’s why the higher in elevation you are, the less likely you will be to encounter freezing rain on Saturday.