New snow for the West and East in early February

Most major ski regions in North America have picked up good snow totals through the first week of February as an active pattern has persisted from west to east across the continent. From February 3rd through 7th, Jackson Hole received the deepest snow amounts of any ski area, while areas in British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Montana, Utah, and Colorado scored big totals during this period as well.

The East has also enjoyed excellent conditions recently with new snow recorded from New England to the Southern Appalachians and west toward Michigan and the Upper Midwest. From February 3rd through 7th, the deepest totals in the eastern half of the continent were recorded at Waterville Valley (NH), Snow Ridge (NY), Jay Peak (VT), Nub's Nob (MI), Mont Sutton (QB), and Smuggler's Notch (VT).

Forecast for Mon, Feb 8 – Wed, Feb 10

An unsettled northwest flow will keep snow showers going across the Northern Cascades and Northern Rockies on Monday and Tuesday. Utah and Colorado will see a weak storm on Tuesday and Wednesday with light snow for most areas, though some areas in Western Colorado could see locally heavier amounts. The East will remain active with a one-two punch of storms arriving on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Forecast for Thu, Feb 11 – Fri, Feb 12

A strong storm will impact the West late this week, though confidence is low in how far north or south the storm track will be located. As a result, the Southern Cascades and Central Rockies will be the most favored, while the northern and southern extents of snowfall remain more uncertain.

Another series of storms will favor the Mid-Atlantic and possibly Southern New England on Thursday and Friday, with question marks regarding precipitation type for areas near and south of the Mason-Dixon line. 

Forecast for Sat, Feb 13

The next storm will arrive in the West on Saturday with models in disagreement on how far north or south the storm will track (similar to the previous storm). Another fast-moving storm will reach the East on Saturday as well. 

Outlook for Sun, Feb 14 – Thu, Feb 18

An active pattern looks to remain in place across most of North America during this period. Initially, the storm track will favor the Sierras, Southern Cascades, and the Central/Southern Rockies, but the storm track should gradually shift north and start to favor the Northwest and Northern Rockies by later in the period. The East will remain active as well with frequent storms expected.

Thanks so much for reading! Check back for my next post on Wednesday, February 10th.

ALAN SMITH