Headlines to start the morning are the cold frigid air over New England that has some impressive statistics Saturday morning. Mt Washington was -110F wind chill late Friday night and is currently at -84F (Wind chill). The air temperature is a balmy -34 degrees.  Ouch!  

Don't chase to New England right now and if you are up on Mt Washington (Workers) stay inside! 

The next chase has great snowfall totals for the Sierra (20-24 inches above 7,000 feet) from late Saturday to Sunday mid-afternoon. Extreme winds (Gusts over 100MPH) are possible late Saturday night and will impact lifts during the afternoon Saturday. Winds will stay strong and decrease somewhat on Sunday with the likelihood of wind holds on anything at upper elevations Sunday. This storm has great potential for storm skiing Sunday but some areas simply will be limited on terrain. Perhaps choose lower elevation resorts on this chase or look for some opportunities on the east side of the lake (Diamond Peak, Mt Rose) or even Northstar that has better protection from the winds. Bottom Line: Chase worthy with some caveats on the wind, snow quality (Windward aspects), Lift operations especially Sunday morning. 

Elsewhere, the PNW snuck out 8 inches near Mt Baker on Friday night (As forecasted) with 2-5 inches further south. Snow will continue in the PNW for the next several days with additional light to moderate events through Monday night before increasing on Tuesday/Wednesday. Northern Oregon resorts look to be a bit deeper in the Sunday to Monday timeframe (Chase to Timberline, Mt Hood, Bachelor). 

The Rockies grab the leftovers from the Sierra with light to moderate snow on the models for many areas in central and northern Idaho (Panhandle might be the deepest), Teton range, southern Montana (Big Sky), Schweitzer (Northern Idaho), from Sunday to Monday. The Tetons might outperform slightly with up to 8 inches by Monday morning (Late Sunday to Monday totals) with a bit less over Big Sky. Ski Lookout Pass could be deeper in Idaho as well as Stanley just north of Sun Valley. 

In the Wasatch, amounts are likely going to be in the 6-11 inch range for many resorts from PCMR to the Ogden area and 11-15 inches for. the Cottonwoods. Winds are strong from the SW on Sunday veering to NW and eventually North on Monday.  The timing is ripe for riding on Monday with a bit more snow during the day. Winds could be an issue for upper elevation lifts Sunday PM and perhaps Monday early AM but decrease throughout the day. Chase last chair Sunday or 1st chair Monday. 

Below: Total snowfall for the Sierra through late Sunday.  All areas will be winners! Strong winds with this storm are a caution flag for late Saturday from early Sunday. 

Honorable mention: Alyeska grabs a decent storm Sunday to Monday followed by light snow for the remainder of next week. I had talked about AK in an earlier post and the models have pushed the deepest totals toward Valdez and Thompson Pass. Monday could be a solid powder day. 

Looking at extended chases, I like the odds of a slow build-up of snow in the PNW next week (Each day sees light to moderate waves) with an increase in intensity and colder temps Tuesday to Wednesday. While Oregon might benefit the most Sunday/Monday, Washington resorts and western BC appear favored for the midweek event. The midweek period might see 1-2 feet of freshies for Whistler, Baker, Stevens Pass, and Crystal. Further inland, areas of northern Idaho and the interior of BC should see 8-14 inches. It's too far out to put snow totals on the forecast so look for updates late this weekend or early next week. There is a strong cold front mid-next week in the PNW followed by warming late next week and the weekend. That warm front late next week will be significant for the western Cascades and coastal BC with cooler conditions inland. 

Below:  Total moisture from this weekend to next Wednesday night (February 9th). The Sierra and Rockies are favored in the earlier period with the PNW favored next week. You can see some pretty impressive water totals for Washington, BC, Oregon, and even northern Idaho. Interior regions will see snow as well with up to an inch of moisture noted for Revelstoke. 

Below: Low pressure entering the PNW Tuesday/Wednesday taking a northern track over the Rockies. 

Below: The low might favor the eastern side of the Rockies next week as it drops south over Colorado by Thursday. 

Enjoy the powder, everyone! 

Please follow my chase on Instagram @powderchasersteve 

See you on the first chair Sunday! 

Powderchaser Steve