How to measure snowfall in your area

The big weather pattern change finally arrived at the very end of October. Despite the moisture, Coeur d’Alene’s October precipitation was 1.46 inches. The normal moisture total for October is 2.22 inches, so this was the fourth month in a row with below-average precipitation in Coeur d’Alene. But it’s likely that November will have above-normal moisture as we’re already off to a good start.

With the storm track directed over the northwestern portion of the country, more rain and mountain snow are expected through Tuesday. There’s also the chance of some snow in the lower elevations Tuesday. Then, we should have a brief break from the moisture before more weather systems are likely to arrive next week. Toward the middle of the month, it’s very possible that we could see more significant snowfall in the lower elevations, so we would advise putting on those snow tires. Our current snowfall prediction for Coeur d’Alene is between 80 and 85 inches for the season.

As of early November, there is still a 60% chance of a new La Niña being declared by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. The latest information does have a stretch of cooler than normal sea-surface temperatures along the equatorial regions in the south-central Pacific Ocean, but it’s a relatively thin stretch of colder waters.