Below: Another 'busy' Saturday at aptly named Sunshine Village. 

Saturday: Mix of sun and cloud Saturday morning with clouds and SW winds increasing during the afternoon to the north at Marmot Basin. Clouds and isolated flurries work their way south along the range into the evening hours. As a trough of low-pressure and associated cold-front move into the Rockies from northeast BC, short but intense periods of snow will develop along the frontal boundary Saturday night. This front will spread snowfall as far south as the US border overnight with light accumulations of 2 – 5cm likely at most resorts by 9AM Sunday. 

Sunday: Isolated flurries behind the exiting cold-front could drop trace amounts at the SkiBig3 resorts during the morning hours. The South Rockies will be in best position for bands of snow showers to develop where Castle could add another 2 – 4cm through the morning on Sunday. High-pressure will build into the Alberta Rockies during the day bringing a widespread mix of sun and cloud during the afternoon hours along with alpine high temperatures (2200m) -5C to -11C. Light west winds.  

Monday: Colder surface temps are in store for Monday. Transient high-pressure gets bumped by an advancing trough of low-pressure moving in from northeastern BC. Generally, a cloudy day across the range with isolated flurries along the Divide, becoming more widespread in the South Rockies. Trace to 3cm accumulations possible. Moderate west winds across the alpine at Castle and Nakiska, with light and variable W/SW winds at the SkiBig3 resorts. High temps at 2200m of -10C to -14C. 

Tuesday: Lingering flurries across the South Rockies overnight Monday could add another 1 – 3cm at Castle Mountain by first chair Tuesday morning. High-pressure builds in from BC on Tuesday but with a NW flow aloft expect mainly cloud cover across the range with some isolated flurries developing from Lake Louise north to Marmot Basin. Slightly warmer but seasonal temps with alpine highs (2200m) of -5C to -10C. W/SW winds. 

Wednesday: Ridging will bring a few more sunny spells on Wednesday along with slightly warmer temps with highs at 2200m of -2C to -6C. Light to moderate W/SW winds. 

Below: European model animation from Saturday 1/21 through midnight Friday 1/ 27 depicts a series of low-pressure systems moving into Alberta on a NW flow aloft. The last system for Thursday/Friday 1/26 & 27 looks somewhat impressive. Let's hope the forecast sticks and we finally get some significant snowfall. 

Deep high-pressure off the BC coast will continue to divert incoming Pacific storms systems to the north where they will ride a NW flow aloft back to the south and into the Alberta Rockies. This is the pattern for most of next week and the good news is that a more organized low-pressure system is gaining the confidence of the weather models for potentially significant snowfall Thursday night 1/26 through Friday night 1/27. Beyond that, ridging appears to build in from the west drying things out next weekend with a continued NW flow keeping cool temps around.  

Thanks for tuning in. Next update on Monday 1/23.    

Powder Out, 

Bob