Late Spring Snow Has Rathdrum Plowing Roads

Rathdrum residents woke up to several inches of snow Tuesday morning, with a number of people having a hard time believing what they were seeing falling from the sky.

The familiar sound of snow blowers could be heard in Rathdrum Tuesday morning. What wasn't familiar, however, was that it was the end of April. It was definitely not what George White, who recently returned from Arizona, was expecting.

"We thought it would all be gone," he said, adding that he feels like he left Arizona a couple weeks too soon. "It's 86 down there right now."


But no, it wasn't gone. In fact White White woke up to around 5 inches of snow Tuesday morning. He lives near a golf course, which should have been open for golfing Tuesday; instead of golfers White saw a cross country skier out on the links.

"We had a cross country skier going down fairway number 18. Skiing is taking place of golfing today," he said.

Lloyd Andrews also lives near the course; his golf cart got stuck in his driveway when he went to get the mail.

"I'm wondering if I live on a golf course or in a snow belt," Andrews said.

Between three and five inches of snow fell around Rathdrum; White calls the weather almost laughable. However the weather is no laughing matter for business at Twin Lakes Village Golf Course which, obviously, was closed Tuesday because there was three inches of snow on the course.

"We had a great weekend this weekend, 60 degrees, a lot of golfers on Saturday. We went from around 130 to zero today," Darin Vaughan with Twin Lakes Village Golf Course said.

Vaughan is crossing his fingers that people can hit the course Wednesday.

The cold weather also put the pinch on the Northland Nursery. Dianne Decker isn't so concerned about the snow, which can act as an insulator. But people are behind on their gardening and as a result nursery revenues are down.

"They want to spend money, they want to get back out in the yard, but the weather is pushing them back inside," Decker said.

The City of Rathdrum plowed major roads Tuesday, city officials saying that it is going to put pressure on street funds because the winter weather started earlier last year and they are still plowing well into April.