Storm Watch Accompanies Latest Weather System Entering The Area
As one storm makes its way out of the Inland Northwest, yet another storm will be entering the region Tuesday.
Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and the surrounding areas south to Pullman and Lewiston were under a hazardous weather outlook Monday, however that advisory was upgraded to a winter storm watch for Tuesday.
A winter storm watch means heavy snow accumulations are likely and travel could be affected by the precipitation buildup.
The storm watch is in effect from Tuesday morning into the evening for the North Idaho Panhandle and northeast Washington, including Pend Oreille, Stevens and Ferry counties. Coeur d’Alene and Spokane are not covered by the winter storm watch, but both fall on the cusp of the advisory and are therefore expected to get some snowfall.
Low-lying areas falling under the watch are expected to get up to five inches of snow while the mountains could see as much as 10 inches Tuesday. Monday, meanwhile, will see no new major snow accumulations, with slight snow and rain showers possible, but mostly in the mountains.
These winter storm watches are becoming relatively commonplace in the Inland Northwest this season, despite the fact that it’s not yet winter. The first official day of winter is December 22nd.
The Inland Northwest isn’t the only region seeing snowfall. A large storm system that dropped snow everywhere from the Great Lakes to New England caused significant disruptions over the weekend.
On Sunday, the Cleveland Browns hosted the Buffalo Bills in near-blizzard conditions, and about 40 percent of flights were canceled at Cleveland Hopkins airport.
However, the worst of the storm seems to have moved on. In Ohio, the National Weather Service says scattered lake effect snow showers in parts of the state should be cleared by Monday afternoon.
Still, scattered remnants of the storm are being felt all over.
In Massachusetts, some roadways remain slick in the aftermath of the weekend’s wintry mix of snow, sleet and rain. And a number of school districts have called off classes Sunday, from the midwest to upstate New York.
The extreme northeast of the country remains under the most threat from the storm, where parts of New England could be hit with gusts of wind 40 mph or higher early in the week, and a winter storm warning remained in effect Monday for northern Maine, where visibility was cut by snow blown by gusting wind.
