Northwest flow delivers the goods to the Rockies

A series of storms arriving from the northwest will continue to bring heavy snow to the Northern and Central Rockies, as well as the Northern Cascades and portions of British Columbia and Alberta. The first storm in this pattern delivered over a foot of snow to areas in Colorado and Wyoming during the middle of the week.

Check out the snow stake cam from Snowmass during the storm, who ended up receiving 20 inches in 24 hours as of Thursday morning's report.

Areas that will be favored for deep totals over the upcoming weekend include but are not limited to Mt. Baker, Stevens Pass, Lookout Pass, Montana Snowbowl, Bridger Bowl, Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole, and Steamboat. Cold temperatures in this cycle will support great quality snow as well – i.e. low moisture content.

Forecast for Fri, Feb 5 – Sat, Feb 6

A one-two punch of storms will bring heavy snow to the Northern Cascades, portions of British Columbia, the Northern Rockies, and Northern Colorado on Friday and Saturday, with lighter snow extending south into Northern Utah and Central Colorado. A storm will also bring a round of snow to the Upper Midwest and Northeast on Friday and Saturday, with rain being the favored precipitation type south of the Mason-Dixon line (excluding the higher terrain of West Virginia). 

 

Forecast for Sun, Feb 7 – Mon, Feb 8

Snow will continue to add up across the Northern Cascades and Northern Rockies on Sunday and to a lesser extent on Monday. Another storm will impact the East on Sunday, with snow favoring Virginia and Western North Carolina, while lighter amounts are expected farther north.

Forecast for Tue, Feb 9 – Wed, Feb 10

A weaker storm out West could bring snow to portions of California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado on Tuesday and Wednesday, but confidence is low in terms of placement and amounts. Another storm is possible in the East during this period as well with warmer air likely resulting in more rain than snow for the Mid-Atlantic, while New England stands a better chance of seeing all-snow. 

Outlook for Thu, Feb 11 – Mon, Feb 15

Colder than average temperatures are expected across a large portion of North America during this period as arctic air spills southward into the Lower 48. Snowfall-wise, the pattern looks relatively quiet compared to recent weeks. Additional weak/moderate storms will remain possible across the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies, and also across the East. 

Thanks so much for reading! Check back for my next post on Monday, February 8th.

ALAN SMITH