Winter flurries come in earnest
Several schools — but not all of them — cancel or delay school Wednesday after region is hit by biggest snowfall this season
The most significant snowfall of the winter in north central Idaho and southeastern Washington came Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, resulting in a day out of school for many students.
Snow days were declared at schools on the Camas Prairie, the Clearwater River Valley and parts of the Palouse. Some schools also started two hours late.
The only cities in the region that had business-as-usual school days were in Lewiston, Clarkston, Asotin and Moscow.
Snow depths varied by elevation and by the track of the storm that moved across the region from the southwest to the northeast.
Areas farther south, like the Camas Prairie, had some of the deepest accumulations. Grangeville received about 15 inches, Reubens 12 inches and Clearwater — just across the South Fork of the Clearwater River from the prairie — got 18 inches, according to the National Weather Service at Spokane.
Snow totals in Lewiston varied from 5.7 inches at the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport airport to about an inch on Normal Hill and downtown. The airport received 3.3 inches, midnight to midnight on Tuesday, which set a record for Feb. 4. The rest of the accumulation occurred Wednesday morning.
Moscow, Orofino and Pomeroy got about 4 inches and Colfax had 3 inches.
Greg Koch said more snow is possible throughout the week with up to an inch tonight and 1 to 3 inches Friday.
Below-average temperatures are expected to persist through the weekend, and it could get even colder by the middle of next week, according to the weather service.
