Recent Snowfall

Heavy snow fell in the Northwest and Northern/Central Rockies this past Friday-Sunday (11/13 – 11/15) with the highest snow totals in the Cascades, Idaho, Tetons, and Utah. Check out the map of 3-day snow totals (combination of first-hand reports and model-derived totals) ending Sunday evening.

North of the border, British Columbia was slammed with heavy snowfall from Thursday (11/12) through Saturday (11/14), both across the Coast Range and in the Interior. Below are reported/model-derived snow totals during this period, with many areas receiving 50-70+ cm (20-28+ inches).

 

Forecast for Mon, Nov 16 – Tue, Nov 17

Warm air arriving from the southwest will lead to rising snow levels across the Northwest on Monday and Tuesday with the heaviest snow amounts confined to high elevation areas in Washington and British Columbia. Meanwhile, a weak storm will bring light snow to parts of the Northeast on Monday and Tuesday along with colder temperatures and more favorable snowmaking conditions. 

Forecast for Wed, Nov 18 – Thu, Nov 19

A stronger storm with colder air and lower snow levels will bring heavy snow to the coastal ranges on Wednesday and Thursday, extending south in the Tahoe area. The Northern Rockies and British Columbia Interior will pick up moderate to heavy snow as well.

Forecast for Fri, Nov 20 – Sat, Nov 21

The Northern Cascades, British Columbia, and Northwest Rockies will continue to be in the flow with additional snow on Friday and Saturday. A weaker storm over the Central Rockies could also bring a round of snow to Colorado on Saturday.

Outlook for Sun, Nov 22 – Thu, Nov 26

The storm track will continue to favor the Northwest heading into (U.S.) Thanksgiving Week with frequent storms expected while Utah/Colorado might see occasional glancing blows. Some models are projecting a shot of snow and colder air across the Northeast early in this period before warming up again toward Thanksgiving, but confidence is low. 

Thanks so much for reading, and check back for my next post on Wednesday, November 18th.

ALAN SMITH

NEW: Avalanche Forecasts

Many folks have requested this over the past year and we're excited to now show avalanche forecasts for regions across North America. 

You can use our map view to see a quick overview of the avalanche forecast conditions and you can also go back in time for the last 7 days to see how the avalanche conditions have changed by using the slider at the bottom of the map.

Also, we integrated the avalanche forecast into each mountain location page under a new tab called "Avalanche Forecast". 

The avalanche forecasts are freely available and are the foundation of any backcountry experience. Please check these forecasts each time you head out of controlled terrain! 

You can view the avalanche forecasts right now on our website and they will be live on our iPhone and Android apps very soon.