Spring-like weather melts most of Friday’s snow blast

Although a couple of days last week felt more spring-like than winter, the county had another taste of the white stuff starting late Friday morning and lasting into Saturday morning.

A winter storm warning was issued by the National Weather Service in Spokane starting at 10 a.m. Friday and lasting through 5 a.m. Saturday.

Snowfall was light at first late Friday morning, but in the afternoon the snow got heavier and the wind began blowing.

Temperatures hovered in the upper 20s and even warmed to the low 30s during the night on Friday.

Washington State Patrol reported that between 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, and Dec. 22, there were four reportable damage collisions, one injury collision, two non-reportable collisions and one unable to locate in the Colfax area.

Over the northeast region, WSP reports totaled 130 entries.

By Saturday morning, temperatures had warmed up enough to start melting the snow.

Steve Henning said the Thornton area received about four inches of snow and in some places it had drifted. He said the snow was starting to melt Saturday afternoon.

East county received even more snow with reports of about six inches or more.

Nancy Taylor from LaCrosse, who records the weather for the Gazette, reported six inches of snow for the LaCrosse area between Dec. 20 and Dec. 21.

By Monday morning, the snow was melting fast with night time temperatures staying above freezing.

On the night of Dec. 12 and into the next day, county residents reported snow. Then temperatures warmed and the snowfall turned to rain. Most of the snow melted before another blast hit the following Friday, Dec. 20.

Art Schultheis of Colton reported that area received about one inch of snow and no rain after temperatures warmed on Dec. 12.

Henning said that area got about two inches of snow on Thursday, Dec. 12, and .13 inches of rain after it warmed up. On Saturday, Dec. 14, he said the area received .05 inches of rain. Henning also said when he walked the fields on Sunday, Dec. 15, the wheat was starting to perk up again. He said he thought with wind chills recorded at 10 to 15 below zero, the wheat was “dinged” a little bit.

Taylor reported two inches of snow fell on Dec. 12.

Weather forecasts for the coming week show fairly mild temperatures, in the mid- to upper 30s with the lows in the high teens with very little chance of snow.