Possible Thanksgiving Week Snow

Our temperatures for Thanksgiving week won’t be as cold has previously thought, but snow is still a possibility. First, we’ll need a cold front to cool us down. That should come through on Sunday night. Colder drier air will move into the area on Monday, setting the stage for the potential snow on Tuesday or Wednesday. 

As is often the case around here, timing will be critical for precipitation type and any snow accumulation.  The European model (often the most accurate) is that fastest with the arrival of the next storm. It brings it in on Tuesday afternoon. As such, temperatures could be in the mid to upper 30s by the time precipitation arrives, which would mean a cold rain or a wet non-accumulating snow. Here’s that model’s prediction for snowfall.  Less than an inch of snow north of I-90. 

The US model (the GFS) along with the Canadian and UK models are slower, with precipitation starting Wednesday morning. This is generally better timing for snowfall.  It would forecast about 1.5” for Spokane with a bit more for the northern valleys. 

The Canadian model is the snowiest of all, which is not unusual.  It predicts over 3” for Spokane. 

In situations like this (with lots of model disagreement), it’s best to stick to the blended or average forecast. This would give Spokane about a half inch on Wednesday, with a little over an inch on the plains west of Spokane as well as the northern valleys. 

There’s a second chance of snow on Thanksgiving morning.  But this will be a different scenario, with warmer air pushing up from the southwest. For folks south of Spokane, it’s likely this means rain. The Spokane metro area will also probably see rain.  Folks farther to the northern valleys could see snow in the morning, changing to rain. 

In the wake of this storm, colder air from Canada might push into the area for the rest of the thanksgiving weekend.