Brutal Winter Weather Returns To Area This Weekend

The National Weather Service reported Thursday that the relatively moderate weather of early January will come to an abrupt end, as snow, wind, and single-digit temperatures return to the area this weekend and into early next week. Miranda Cote, a meteorologist with the weather station in Spokane, said the incoming storms will bring increasing rain and snow with the precipitation turning to mostly snow by tonight.

In the higher elevations, 1-2 inches is expected in Moscow and Pullman, with 4-8 inches on the Camas Prairie and the Clearwater River basin, and potentially more than a foot in the mountains. Wind gusts of 15-30 mph are anticipated throughout the region. On Saturday, an Arctic front will move into the area from the northeast, bringing more scattered snow showers and blowing snow, and winds up to 20-30 mph.

As the area begins to dry out Saturday night and Sunday, temperatures will drop drastically, with highs in the 30s on Saturday and single digits overnight and into Sunday morning. Highs in the 20s and lows in the single digits and below zero are expected for the early- to mid-part of next week, with a moderating trend later in the week, with highs in the 40s by Thursday.