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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

There goes the sun: Get ready for some snow in Spokane

A leaf is frozen into ice ridges Tuesday along the shore of Newman Lake.  (Kathy Plonka/The Spokesman-Review)

After a stretch of sunny, cold weather, clouds and snow are making their way back to the Inland Northwest.

The Friday morning commute could be slick with up to an inch snow overnight Thursday and a similar amount during the day Friday in Spokane, Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake, according to the National Weather Service.

“It will be a snowy commute,” said Laurie Nisbet, a weather service meteorologist. “Get ready to drive in it. We haven’t seen snow in a while.”

Nisbet warned that winds will increase significantly on Friday night, with gusts reaching 30 to 40 mph.

Large accumulations of snow are expected in the mountains. Skiers can look forward to 15 to 18 inches falling Thursday night through early Saturday morning at Mount Spokane, 16 to 19 inches at Schweitzer, 6 to 10 inches at Silver, 12 to 15 inches at 49 Degrees North and 9 to 12 inches at Lookout Pass, Nisbet said.

Only 13 inches of snow has fallen this winter in Spokane, compared to a normal by this time of 32.6 inches. Still, because of a rainy November and December, the area is above normal for precipitation.

Snow may turn to rain on Friday, but small snowfalls are expected Saturday and Sunday in Spokane.

Starting Monday, the temperature is not expected to rise above freezing for several days, including a potential of approaching single digits on Wednesday night, Nisbet said.

The coldest day so far this winter was Jan. 20, when the temperature fell to 13 degrees. The coldest in December was 24 degrees.

“It’s been a pretty mild winter,” Nisbet said.