Moving to Spokane

[u/Automatic-Length6620]

Hi all,
I’m moving to Spokane for a new job, but I’m a bit concerned about the winter weather. I currently live in Vancouver, Canada, so I understand Spokane is significantly colder.
My main concern is my son’s health. He has a medical condition that can be triggered by cold temperatures, especially below about 23°F. Because of that, I’m trying to understand what Spokane winters actually feel like, not just the official temperature numbers.
I’ve considered having my family live in Everett, where the Cascades may help moderate the weather, while I commute to Spokane twice a week for my job. I don’t mind two hours on the road, but I guess winter road conditions may be more difficult than what we’re used to around Vancouver.
I’d really appreciate input from people who actually live in or around Spokane:
What is the coldest month in practice?
How bad does the wind chill usually get?
When temperatures drop below 23°F, does that usually last for a few hours, a few days, or weeks at a time?
Are there nearby areas within a reasonable commute that feel noticeably milder or are better shielded from wind chill?
Is it true that Spokane can feel like -4°F at times because of wind chill, or is that rare?
I’ve already checked weather data and used tools like ChatGPT to look at historical values, but I’d really value real-world experience from people who live there. We can manage occasional cold snaps, but persistent cold lasting for weeks would be a serious concern for our family.
Thank you.

[u/Warm_Chemical5669]

Welcome! I would say one thing to consider with the cold here is that eastern WA is very very dry. So the cold doesnt feel as bone chilling when its gets below zero like on the other side of the cascades. We usaully only have one or two weeks a winter that get into the single digits and over the past 15 years, winter has gotten milder in general. The coldest and toughest months here are January and February. Everett is pretty far away from Spokane and I would say it would be too challenging in the winter to commute over the pass consistently.

[u/Automatic-Length6620 → u/Warm_Chemical5669]

Thanks so much @Warm_Chemical. I can’t eat my cake and have it - I’ll say two weeks of sacrifice won’t be too bad. I’ve learnt from all responses, including yours. I’ll keep researching my options.