Snow much fun

Coeur d'Alene started February with 8.4 inches of snow, a record low for that date.

Seventeen days later, it was up to 28.8, and that's expected to climb higher.

Climatologist Cliff Harris measured 11 inches on the ground Monday morning, more than all that fell in November, December and January.

"Almost every day we've been getting snow lately," said Harris. "Not a lot, more consistent. I told you, February was going to be something else. Now people are calling and tell me, 'You can shut this stuff off.'"

He credited a dome of cold air over the area with opening the door for substantial snow to finally fall and for it to feel like winter. He said the temperature went subzero three times last week, including 6 below on Feb. 11.

Scores of people were sledding on Cherry Hill on Sunday, and more were on Fernan Lake for ice fishing, hockey and ice skating.

Despite the latest snow flurries, Harris doesn't expect the month's tally to threaten the February record of 37 inches in the early 1980s.

Harris expects things to warm up in the coming days, and said it hit 37 degrees Monday, the warmest since was 40 degrees Feb. 1.

"A heatwave," he said.

But he said cold air is on the way next week and predicts more snow will fall later this month and next.

"March can be a bearcat," Harris said.

    Snow lines the shoreline of Tubbs Hill on Sunday.
  

    Footprints in the snow lead toward a group of people on Fernan Lake on Sunday.