Our city-by-city winter of 2024-25 snowfall predictions

Every year in mid-autumn, Cliff and I issue our annual city-by-city snowfall predictions for North Idaho and surrounding areas of the Inland Empire.

Last season, our seasonal snowfall total in Coeur d’Alene ended up at 51.2 inches, which is below the 69.8-inch normal. The lower-than-average total was likely influenced by the warmer-than-normal sea-surface temperature event, El Niño. Conditions are different for the upcoming season as ocean waters in the south-central Pacific Ocean are cooler. The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a 60% chance of a new cooler, La Niña, being declared before 2024 comes to an end.

During the last La Niña event, which was the winter of 2022-23, Coeur d’Alene’s seasonal snowfall total was 83.8 inches. However, we also had a La Niña during the winter of 2021-22, but the final snowfall total was 66.7 inches at Cliff’s station in Coeur d’Alene.

As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, during La Niña years, the northwestern portion of the country often receives above-normal snowfall. If a new La Niña is declared soon, it is likely to be weak but could persist through the upcoming winter season.

During the La Niña event in 2022-23, September’s precipitation total in 2022 was near normal, but October was drier than average. Conditions in November of 2022 did turn wetter as the Polar Jet Stream finally moved southward. With the recent rainfall, and more expected toward the end of the month, October of 2024 may be close to normal after three months of below-average rainfall.

Based on the expected cooling of sea-surface temperatures, we’re going with the odds of an above-normal snowfall season in the Inland Northwest. Our snowfall prediction for Coeur d’Alene for the 2024-25 season is 83.3 inches, which is very close to the total of the 2022-23 season. However, if La Niña is not declared, then the final total may be close to 70 inches.

For now, here are our projected seasonal snowfall totals for many eastern Washington and northern Idaho towns and cities. And, depending on what happens over the next several months, we may have to adjust these totals.

1. Area ski resorts should range from approximately 225-250 inches at Mt. Spokane, 250 to 300 inches at Silver Mountain to around 375-400 inches at both Lookout Pass and Montana’s Whitefish Mountain.

2. Priest Lake: 95 to 100 inches.

3. Spirit Lake: 93 to 98 inches.

4. Twin Lakes: 94 to 99 inches.

5. Bonners Ferry: 92 to 97 inches.

6. Rathdrum: 90 to 95 inches.

7. Sandpoint: 88 to 93 inches.

8. Wallace: 87 to 92 inches.

9. Athol/Garwood: 86 to 91 inches.

10. Hauser Lake: 85 to 90 inches.

11. Kellogg (town): 85 to 90 inches.

12. Hayden Lake (above 2,400 feet): 84 to 89 inches.

13. Hayden (town): 82 to 87 inches.

14. Newport, Wash.: 81 to 86 inches.

15. Coeur d’Alene (Cliff’s station): 80 to 85 inches. 

16. Dalton Gardens: 79 to 84 inches. 

17. Fernan Lake: 78-83 inches.

18. St. Maries: 77 to 82 inches.

19. Hope: 75 to 80 inches. 

20. Kalispell, Mont.: 73 to 78 inches.

21. Coeur d’Alene (Downtown near The Coeur d'Alene Resort): 72 to 77 inches.

22. Post Falls: 71 to 76 inches.

23. Plummer: 70 to 75 inches.

24. Worley: 69 to 74 inches.

25. Harrison: 68 to 72 inches.

26. Missoula, Mont.: 65 to 70 inches.

27. Spokane (South Hill): 63 to 68 inches.

28. Spokane Valley: 62 to 67 inches.

29. Bayview: 60 to 65 inches.

30. Spokane International Airport: 58 to 62 inches.

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Contact Randy Mann at randy@longrangeweather.com.