Snow Squall Warning Issued for Stevens and Pend Oreille Counties in Northeastern Washington

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a Snow Squall Warning for southeastern Stevens County and southern Pend Oreille County in northeastern Washington. This alert was triggered after a trained spotter observed a dangerous snow squall moving through the region.

Affected Areas

The warning covers specific geographic regions in northeastern Washington, including:

• Southeastern Stevens County
• Southern Pend Oreille County

Impacted locations include Colville, Chewelah, Newport, Springdale, Cusick, Oldtown, Addy, Sacheen Lake, Chewelah Peak, Usk, Orin, Dalkena, Loon Lake, Diamond Lake, Arden, Valley, Bead Lake Campground, South Skookum Lake Campground, Browns Lake Campground, and Ruby.

Major highways affected include:

• U.S. Highway 20: Between mile markers 355 and 436.
• U.S. Highway 395: Between mile markers 189 and 235.

What You Should Do

Residents and motorists are urged to slow down immediately. Rapid changes in visibility and road conditions are expected with this dangerous snow squall. The National Weather Service recommends considering avoiding or delaying travel until the squall passes your location. If you must travel, use extra caution, allow extra time, and be alert for sudden whiteout conditions and slick roads that may lead to accidents.

Expected Conditions

The primary hazards are whiteout conditions with near-zero visibility associated with intense bursts of heavy snow. At 7:54 AM PST, the squall was located 14 miles southeast of Chewelah (or 25 miles west of Priest River), moving north at 15 mph. Travel is expected to become difficult and potentially dangerous within minutes of the squall’s arrival.

Timeline

The Snow Squall Warning is effective from 7:56 AM PST on February 19, 2026, and is scheduled to expire at 9:00 AM PST on February 19, 2026.