Weather in region expected to mellow out in coming days

The worst appears to be behind us as the region gradually transitions from snow to a wintry mix over the weekend and normal-to-above-normal temperatures next week, a National Weather Service forecaster said Thursday.

Relatively lighter snow was expected Thursday night and into Friday morning, said Charlotte Dewey with the Spokane weather service during an online weather briefing Thursday morning. Some areas on the Palouse and Camas Prairie could see wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph and blowing snow that reduces visibility for travelers.

Winter warnings that had been in effect since earlier in the week have been downgraded to advisories except in the Cascades and northern Idaho, where some heavier snowfall amounts are predicted over the next two days, she said.

Beginning Friday morning through Saturday, the snow in this area should transition to a wintry mix with sleet and freezing rain as a warm front begins to move through, Dewey said. This can cause some travel problems in areas where the moisture turns to ice when it hits the ground. The Palouse along U.S. Highway 195, Pullman and Moscow are the most likely places for freezing rain and ice, with smaller amounts in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.

There are no more avalanche warnings in effect in northern Idaho, although Dewey said there is “considerable avalanche danger” in the Cascades. Anyone wishing to check on the situation may go online to avalanche.org.

Dewey said the next six to 10 days hold favorable chances for warming and above-normal precipitation, more typical of an El Nino year and similar to the weather in December with above-average temperatures.

“So the intensities will be a lot less compared to over the past few days,” she said.