Early Week Snow in British Columbia and Alberta

A strong storm has been impacting Western Canada early this week, favoring the British Columbia Interior and the Canadian Rockies. Lake Louise scored the deepest powder day on Tuesday with 24 cm (10") reported Tuesday morning while Marmot Basin reported 15 cm (6") on Tuesday morning. Heavy snow was expected to fall through Tuesday night in British Columbia and Alberta as well (Check out the OpenSnow Powder Finder for the latest snow reports).

The image below shows a snowy scene during a break in the storm from Kicking Horse, British Columbia on Tuesday afternoon. Kicking Horse opens for the season on Thursday and there should be plenty of powder to greet those who make it out for first chair!

Forecast for Wed, Dec 9 – Thu, Dec 10

Snow will linger into Wednesday across Interior British Columbia and Alberta, while a storm in the East will bring snow to New York and Vermont. An area of low pressure in the Southwest U.S. will also lead to snow for parts of Arizona and New Mexico starting on Thursday.

Forecast for Fri, Dec 11 – Sat, Dec 12

The Southern Rockies will be the favored region on Friday with the heaviest snow falling across Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico, while lighter snow will fall elsewhere in the Rockies on Friday as well as in the Washington/Oregon Cascades.

On Saturday, the main focus of snow may shift into Central and Northern Colorado before tapering off, though confidence is somewhat low in this solution. Snow will also return to Coastal BC late on Saturday as the next storm approaches.

Forecast for Sun, Dec 13 – Mon, Dec 14

A stronger storm will bring heavier and more widespread snow to much of the West on Sunday and Monday, but models are in poor agreement with timing as it's possible snow could begin Saturday night in the Pacific Northwest, and some models also project Northern Colorado to get in on the action on Monday. A storm will also bring snow to Michigan on Sunday, while New England could see snow possibly mixed with rain on Sunday and Monday.

Outlook for Tue, Dec 15 – Sun, Dec 19

A progressive storm track is expected across North America during this period with storms expected for both the West and the East. British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest, and the Northern/Central Rockies will be the most favored for storms every couple of days out west, while the Northeast will see additional snow chances and more favorable temperatures during this timeframe as well. 

Thanks so much for reading! Check back for my next post on Friday, December 11th.

ALAN SMITH

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