March brings in snow
A resident walks on Sherman Avenue following Thursday's snowfall.
BILL BULEY/Press
COEUR d'ALENE — Since Valentine's Day, 11.4 inches of snow has fallen in Coeur d'Alene, including Thursday's 3.2 inches.
That brings the season total to 69.5, close to the average of 69.8 and within reach of 83.4 predicted by Climatologist Cliff Harris.
"A tale of two winters," Harris said several times in a Thursday phone interview with The Press.
Harris measured 41.8 inches of snow prior to the first day of winter, Dec. 21.
But for the next six weeks, just 15.3 inches of snow fell. Average snowfall during that time would have been 42 inches.
When only a tenth of an inch of snow fell the first 13 days of February and temperatures rose to the 40s, an early spring looked likely.
Not so fast.
It hit a low of zero on Feb. 24 and snow returned. Thursday's accumulation gave way to afternoon sunshine and temperatures near 40.
If March holds to its average snowfall of 6.3 inches, it will be more than 70 inches for the season.
"We could end up with another 10 inches," Harris said, which would put the season's total close to his pre-season prediction.