Tonight and Thursday morning to bring snow, Saturday could be as cold as 10 below zero.
And how can this be, with global warming cooking the planet?
The Palouse is expected to see its coldest temperatures in years – and more snow – this week and into the weekend.
Two major air masses – one bringing in cold Arctic air from northern Canada and another sweeping in moisture from the Pacific Ocean – are expected to converge tonight over much of Washington and Idaho, bringing moderate to significant snowfall.
Nic Loyd, a meteorologist with Washington State University’s AgWeatherNet, said he expects about 2 to 4 inches of snow accumulation for the Palouse tonight and into Thursday morning, but Pullman and Moscow are right on the edge of the storm and could see more snow if the storm shifts to the north.
Areas south of Moscow and Pullman can expect more snow accumulation.
“Overall, the last couple of winters have been mild,” Loyd said. “It’s fair to say it’s going to be the coldest it’s been in several years around Saturday.”
He said those temperatures could fall to as low as 10 below zero, with highs expected to barely reach the teens.
“It’s a little early to say there’s going to be widespread temperatures below zero but it’s certainly a possibility on the Palouse,” he said.
Loyd said those freezing temperatures are a product of arctic air continuing to pour into the region from Canada as the moist storm from the Pacific Ocean subsides, as well as more cold air creeping over the Rocky Mountains from the Great Plains and joining the arctic system.
He said usually the Rockies act as a buffer and protect the Inland Northwest, but Friday and Saturday’s event will be strong enough to push cold air over the mountains.