SPOKANE – Skiers all over the state were smiling Thursday as another winter snowstorm swept inland.
The National Weather Service issued heavy snow warnings through Thursday night for large areas of Eastern Washington, while light, wet snow was reported in Western Washington.
Snow was falling on most of the state’s major Cascade Mountain passes.
The Spokane area braced for expected accumulations of 4 to 8 inches. Heavy snow was falling in Spokane by early afternoon, reducing visibility to a couple of blocks downtown. After several mild winters, it was an unusual sight.
“People are thinking it is uncommon, because the last few winters have been so mild and haven’t had snow,” said Laurie Koch of the weather service office in Spokane. “It’s not uncommon for this time of year.”
Snowfall was expected to continue today, although in lighter amounts, she said.
The storm will allow three inland ski resorts to open. Schweitzer Mountain Resort near Sandpoint, Idaho; Silver Mountain near Kellogg, Idaho; and Mount Spokane planned to open today. The 49 Degrees North ski area near Chewelah and Lookout Pass on the Montana-Idaho border are already open.
Last winter, many ski resorts opened late and closed early from lack of snow.
“It’s looking pretty good,” said Stephen Lane, director of marketing at Silver Mountain, which got 17 inches of snow on Wednesday.
Wet snow started falling in Seattle around noon on Thursday, but the Weather Service predicted it would change to rain showers by early today.
The state Department of Transportation had 36 sanding trucks on the road in the Seattle-Everett area, but with temperatures hovering in the mid- to upper 30s, most roadways didn’t get slick.
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