COEUR d'ALENE - After two straight years of Olympic snowfall records, Coeur d'Alene has a different story for the history books this winter.

Including the wet flurry on Wednesday morning - the first snowfall of the month - the Lake City has only seen 2.7 inches of snow from Dec. 31 to Feb. 24, setting the record for the least snowfall in that period in the city's history.

"Up until (Wednesday) it was the most snowless February on record," said Coeur d'Alene Climatologist Cliff Harris, adding that this year comes in second to 2005.

This winter's El Nino has served up warmer temperatures for the past few months, he said, garnering more rain than snow.

Wednesday's three-tenths of an inch of powder, quickly swept away by rainfall, shows the El Nino is weakening, Harris said.

"We're starting to get a little cold air mixing in, especially in the overnight hours," he said. "There's always the chance through early April we'll have snow in the overnight hours. But I'd seriously doubt we're going to get more than 10 to 15 inches all the rest of the way through June."

He doesn't expect this will lead to drought, however, with snow still accumulating at elevations around 3,500 to 4,000 feet.

"One nice thing is we shouldn't have any problems with spring flooding this year," he said.

Quite a change from previous years. The area piled up with 173 inches of snow in the 2007-08 winter, and 146 inches last year.

"This is the ying to that yang," Harris said.

The last record for least snowfall from Dec. 31 to Feb. 24 was in 1933-34, Harris said, which saw 5.5 inches of snowfall.

Reactions to this season have varied.

Brigette DeMouy was strolling down the Centennial Trail by Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive on Wednesday, her face lifted up to catch the light splatters of moisture.

"Relief, honestly," she said of her reaction when she saw flakes on Wednesday. "I know historically when you have low snowfall, we have drought in the summer. I'm still praying for snow, even though my bulbs are sneaking up because they're confused."

The Coeur d'Alene resident said she'll take whatever weather the area has to give, as long as she can still take in views of fog drifting across the lake.

"I would walk in an ice storm. I live here, I want to be out in the world," she said. "What's beautiful about this area is we do have all the seasons."

The grass on the Coeur d'Alene Public Golf Club was empty on Wednesday, golfers deterred by the white flakes that morning.

"We didn't have anyone play yet today," said General Manager David Hobson in the early afternoon.

The light winter has given him hope, though, he said.

"I have no problem with it (the snow). It won't stay around for very long," he said.

He would prefer a winter of rain, he added, as committed golfers will just play through it.

"Rain, yeah - snow, not normally," he said.

Richard Johnson stood with hood tucked over his hair at the Fernan Lake dock, his fishing line snaking into the water.

Usually a snow plower during the winter, the Hayden man said he doesn't mind the break.

"Fishing," Johnson said with a grin of what he's doing instead.

Glancing at the light film of ice around the water's edge, he admitted the ice fishing window was short this year.

"It's all good. Weather occurs in cycles," he said. "Next year it will probably be 10 feet deep in snow."

That would be ideal for Brittany and Vergil Black, a couple who moved back to Coeur d'Alene from southern Utah last year because they missed the snow.

As they walked along Sherman Avenue to take in the small piece of winter available, Vergil said the moist air was a relief.

"I like the gray skies," he said with a shrug. "I grew up in Arizona, where there's just too much sunshine."

The avid snowboarder said the dry landscape wasn't getting to him yet.

As long as it isn't permanent.

"We'll wait for next year," he said.