El Niño's effects are here, but they may not last
Randy Mann.
JAKE PARRISH/Press
The 2023-24 snowfall season has not been one to remember in North Idaho and other parts of the U.S. Here in Coeur d’Alene, approximately 27 inches of snow has fallen at Cliff’s station, compared to a normal to date of around 55 inches. Last year at this time, there were nearly 57 inches of total snowfall.
At the Spokane International Airport, totals this season are close to Coeur d’Alene’s snowfall seasonal total. Since July 1, 2023, the start of the snowfall season, Spokane has received 23.3 inches, compared to just over 35 inches last year at this time. Their average to date is approximately 42 inches.
It’s not just the Inland Northwest that has struggled with snow. Places in the central portions of the U.S. that are notorious for winter snowfalls are also seeing “open winter” conditions. For example, Bismarck, N.D., a city near the border of North Dakota and South Dakota, has reported only 15.7 inches of snow for the season. Their normal to date is close to 32 inches, but last year, snowfall totals were around 55 inches. North Dakota, on average, does receive less snow than Coeur d’Alene because the region is influenced by colder air masses from Canada. Colder air does not hold as much moisture, so the snows that fall in this region are typically much more fluffy.
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