Winter Storm Warning!
Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 9:11 am
Winter is starting very hard.
This is the latest from the National Weather Service:
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
215 AM PST WED DEC 10 2008
IDZ001>004-026-027-WAZ031>038-041>044-110015-
NORTHERN PANHANDLE-COEUR D`ALENE AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE-
CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS-LEWISTON AREA-
LEWIS AND SOUTHERN NEZ PERCE COUNTIES-NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS-
LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES-WASHINGTON PALOUSE-
MOSES LAKE AREA-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN-SPOKANE AREA-
NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS-OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS-WENATCHEE AREA-
EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES-OKANOGAN VALLEY-WATERVILLE PLATEAU-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SANDPOINT...RATHDRUM...BONNERS FERRY...
PRIEST RIVER...COEUR D`ALENE...POST FALLS...HAYDEN...MOSCOW...
PLUMMER...POTLATCH...GENESEE...KELLOGG...ST MARIES...PINEHURST...
OSBURN...WALLACE...MULLAN...LEWISTON...LAPWAI...PECK...CULDESAC...
KAMIAH...CRAIGMONT...NEZPERCE...WINCHESTER...ANATONE...PEOLA...
CLARKSTON...POMEROY...PULLMAN...COLFAX...ROSALIA...LA CROSSE...
MOSES LAKE...EPHRATA...OTHELLO...QUINCY...RITZVILLE...
GRAND COULEE...ODESSA...WILBUR...COULEE CITY...SPOKANE...CHENEY...
DAVENPORT...ROCKFORD...COLVILLE...DEER PARK...CHEWELAH...
NEWPORT...KETTLE FALLS...REPUBLIC...INCHELIUM...WENATCHEE...
CHELAN...ENTIAT...CASHMERE...LEAVENWORTH...MAZAMA...TWISP...
WINTHROP...STEHEKIN...CONCONULLY...OMAK...OKANOGAN...BREWSTER...
BRIDGEPORT...OROVILLE...NESPELEM...WATERVILLE...MANSFIELD
215 AM PST WED DEC 10 2008
...HEAVY SNOW FOLLOWED BY WIND AND BITTER COLD THIS WEEKEND FOR
EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTH IDAHO...
A STRONG WINTER STORM IS SET TO DROP INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME OF THE
SNOWIEST AND COLDEST WEATHER OF THE WINTER THUS FAR.
SNOW WILL DEVELOP FROM THE CANADIAN BORDER SOUTHWARD DURING THE
MORNING HOURS FRIDAY. A BAND OF HEAVY SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE
FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY WITH THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS WINTER STORM.
THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY ON WHERE THE BAND OF HEAVIEST SNOW
WILL OCCUR...BUT THERE IS A STRONG POTENTIAL THAT THE MOUNTAINS
OF THE NORTHERN IDAHO PANHANDLE...THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEAST
WASHINGTON...AND ALONG THE CREST OF THE CASCADES COULD ACCUMULATE
18 TO 30 INCHES OF SNOW BETWEEN FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
ADDITIONALLY...DEPENDING ON WHERE THE BAND OF HEAVIEST SNOW SETS
UP...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR HEAVY SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION IN THE
VALLEYS OF EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTH IDAHO INCLUDING
SPOKANE...COEUR D`ALENE...SANDPOINT...COLVILLE...AND REPUBLIC.
UNDER THE HEAVY HEAVY BAND OF SNOW...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A
FOOT OF SNOW IN THE VALLEYS. SNOWFALL RATES COULD APPROACH 1 TO 2
INCHES PER HOUR UNDER THE BAND...AND TRAVEL IS LIKELY TO BECOME
DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
THE SECOND PHASE OF THIS STORM WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG
NORTHEAST WINDS SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. THE ARRIVAL OF A
STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE BLOWING
AND DRIFTING SNOW...ESPECIALLY IN THE VALLEYS OF NORTHERN IDAHO
AND NORTHEAST WASHINGTON. TRAVEL ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY COULD
BECOME DANGEROUS...AND WIND CHILL VALUES COULD BE 10 TO 20 DEGREES
BELOW ZERO.
THE THIRD PHASE OF THIS STORM WILL BE THE ARRIVAL OF A VERY COLD
ARCTIC AIRMASS. COMPUTER MODELS SUGGEST THAT TEMPERATURES EARLY
NEXT WEEK COULD BE THE COLDEST THE INLAND NORTHWEST HAS EXPERIENCED
SINCE JANUARY 2004. LOW TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY...TUESDAY...AND
WEDNESDAY COULD BE WELL BELOW ZERO IN NORTHEAST WASHINGTON AND IN
NORTH IDAHO.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
215 AM PST WED DEC 10 2008
IDZ001>004-026-027-WAZ031>038-041>044-110015-
NORTHERN PANHANDLE-COEUR D`ALENE AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE-
CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS-LEWISTON AREA-
LEWIS AND SOUTHERN NEZ PERCE COUNTIES-NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS-
LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES-WASHINGTON PALOUSE-
MOSES LAKE AREA-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN-SPOKANE AREA-
NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS-OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS-WENATCHEE AREA-
EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES-OKANOGAN VALLEY-WATERVILLE PLATEAU-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SANDPOINT...RATHDRUM...BONNERS FERRY...
PRIEST RIVER...COEUR D`ALENE...POST FALLS...HAYDEN...MOSCOW...
PLUMMER...POTLATCH...GENESEE...KELLOGG...ST MARIES...PINEHURST...
OSBURN...WALLACE...MULLAN...LEWISTON...LAPWAI...PECK...CULDESAC...
KAMIAH...CRAIGMONT...NEZPERCE...WINCHESTER...ANATONE...PEOLA...
CLARKSTON...POMEROY...PULLMAN...COLFAX...ROSALIA...LA CROSSE...
MOSES LAKE...EPHRATA...OTHELLO...QUINCY...RITZVILLE...
GRAND COULEE...ODESSA...WILBUR...COULEE CITY...SPOKANE...CHENEY...
DAVENPORT...ROCKFORD...COLVILLE...DEER PARK...CHEWELAH...
NEWPORT...KETTLE FALLS...REPUBLIC...INCHELIUM...WENATCHEE...
CHELAN...ENTIAT...CASHMERE...LEAVENWORTH...MAZAMA...TWISP...
WINTHROP...STEHEKIN...CONCONULLY...OMAK...OKANOGAN...BREWSTER...
BRIDGEPORT...OROVILLE...NESPELEM...WATERVILLE...MANSFIELD
215 AM PST WED DEC 10 2008
...HEAVY SNOW FOLLOWED BY WIND AND BITTER COLD THIS WEEKEND FOR
EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTH IDAHO...
A STRONG WINTER STORM IS SET TO DROP INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME OF THE
SNOWIEST AND COLDEST WEATHER OF THE WINTER THUS FAR.
SNOW WILL DEVELOP FROM THE CANADIAN BORDER SOUTHWARD DURING THE
MORNING HOURS FRIDAY. A BAND OF HEAVY SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE
FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY WITH THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS WINTER STORM.
THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY ON WHERE THE BAND OF HEAVIEST SNOW
WILL OCCUR...BUT THERE IS A STRONG POTENTIAL THAT THE MOUNTAINS
OF THE NORTHERN IDAHO PANHANDLE...THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEAST
WASHINGTON...AND ALONG THE CREST OF THE CASCADES COULD ACCUMULATE
18 TO 30 INCHES OF SNOW BETWEEN FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
ADDITIONALLY...DEPENDING ON WHERE THE BAND OF HEAVIEST SNOW SETS
UP...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR HEAVY SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION IN THE
VALLEYS OF EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTH IDAHO INCLUDING
SPOKANE...COEUR D`ALENE...SANDPOINT...COLVILLE...AND REPUBLIC.
UNDER THE HEAVY HEAVY BAND OF SNOW...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A
FOOT OF SNOW IN THE VALLEYS. SNOWFALL RATES COULD APPROACH 1 TO 2
INCHES PER HOUR UNDER THE BAND...AND TRAVEL IS LIKELY TO BECOME
DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
THE SECOND PHASE OF THIS STORM WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG
NORTHEAST WINDS SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. THE ARRIVAL OF A
STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE BLOWING
AND DRIFTING SNOW...ESPECIALLY IN THE VALLEYS OF NORTHERN IDAHO
AND NORTHEAST WASHINGTON. TRAVEL ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY COULD
BECOME DANGEROUS...AND WIND CHILL VALUES COULD BE 10 TO 20 DEGREES
BELOW ZERO.
THE THIRD PHASE OF THIS STORM WILL BE THE ARRIVAL OF A VERY COLD
ARCTIC AIRMASS. COMPUTER MODELS SUGGEST THAT TEMPERATURES EARLY
NEXT WEEK COULD BE THE COLDEST THE INLAND NORTHWEST HAS EXPERIENCED
SINCE JANUARY 2004. LOW TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY...TUESDAY...AND
WEDNESDAY COULD BE WELL BELOW ZERO IN NORTHEAST WASHINGTON AND IN
NORTH IDAHO.