National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Heavy Great Lakes Snow through Friday; Extreme Cold and Potential for Major Winter Storm Late Week into this Weekend

Multiple clipper systems will bring cold temperatures and enhance lake-effect snow downwind of the Great Lakes. An arctic blast will bring frigid temperatures accompanied with gusty winds that may lead to dangerous wind chills beginning in the Northern Plains Thursday before expanding to the South and East. An expansive winter storm will start Friday in the Southern Rockies/Plains and Mid-South. Read More >

Strong winds were reported in the Coeur d'Alene, Spokane and Davenport areas. In Coeur d'Alene, the winds split a 120 foot Ponderosa pine tree which landed on a home and caused major damage. The winds also uprooted a tree which fell onto a car in Hayden. Kootenai Electric Cooperative had 1,000 customers without power during the wind storm. During the peak of the winds, Coeur D'Alene AWOS reported sustained west winds of 35 miles per hour gusting to 49 miles per hour. Property damage from this event is estimated to be $45,000. Avista Utilities reported at least 1,200 customers without power across northeast Washington. The strongest wind gust of the storm was reported at Fairchild Air Force Base where the peak wind speed was 54 miles per hour.