This winter packing a big wallop

You're one persistent dude, Old Man Winter.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 111.2 inches of snow had fallen in Coeur d'Alene this winter, making it the seventh-snowiest winter on record. At Schweitzer Mountain, the Sandpoint resort has received 287 inches of snow so far this season.

Surpassing the No. 6 spot of 111.6 inches in 1949-50 was expected last night, Press meteorologist Randy Mann said.

"Everyone has had enough," Mann said.

Normal snowfall is 68.9 inches. The record is 172.9 inches set in 2007-08. The average snowfall in Sandpoint, according to usclimatedata.com, is 58 inches.

Mann said daytime rain and nighttime snow showers are expected to persist over the next week, with daytime highs in the mid-40s.

He said he expects warm springtime weather to finally arrive in earnest around March 20.

"That's the best time we'll see temperatures at least going into the 50s and possibly 60s," he said.

But Mann said flooding conditions could return to the region around that time as well.

"As it warms up, we'll have to watch for flooding," he said. "If we see a huge warmup and wind at once, that will be a concern. Rain, wind and warmer temperatures are a terrible combination when it comes to flooding. What we want is a gradual warmup."

Mann said it's too early to tell if this winter's heavy snowfall will stave off summer wildfire concerns because a lot could happen this spring.

"Just because we have wet conditions now does not mean wildfire season will be a cakewalk," he said. "If we get a long dry spell, that could make things tinder really quick."

According to USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, snowpack in the mountains of North Idaho on Wednesday ranged from 95 to 105 percent of normal. While there's ample snowpack in the region, it's lower than in the central and southern parts of the state, where it ranges from 117 to 189 percent of normal.

Based on Idaho’s Surface Water Supply Index, water supply shortages are not expected. In addition, plenty of soil moisture already in the ground may reduce the initial irrigation demand, which means additional water may be available to use or release later.

"There will be abundant water supplies across Idaho this year," said Daniel Tappa, NRCS hydrologist. "Early March storms are expected to bring several feet of snow into the western and northern parts of the state, which is a reminder that winter isn’t over yet."

February precipitation was much above average in the Panhandle, ranging from 179 percent of normal in the Coeur d'Alene River drainage to 250 percent in the Rathdrum Creek watershed, according to the NRCS. The precipitation brought North Idaho closer to other areas of the state.

Streamflow forecasts for North Idaho range from 90 to 115 percent of normal.