Western Canada back in the flow

February started out quiet for most areas north of the border, but the storm train has returned to Canada over the past several days and that trend will continue over the upcoming week.

The first storm last Thursday and Friday managed to bury the 27-cm tall Gnorm the Powder Gnome at Revelstoke and a second stronger storm is expected to deliver even deeper totals across British Columbia and Alberta through Monday. Another storm will arrive later in the week as well with colder air and lower snow levels compared to Monday's storm. 

Forecast for Mon, Feb 22 – Tue, Feb 23

British Columbia, Alberta, and Washington will be favored for the deepest snow on Monday before giving way to lighter snow on Tuesday, although snow levels will fall on Monday night and Tuesday as colder air arrives. The focus of the heaviest snow will shift south into Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming on Tuesday. A storm will also bring widespread snow to the Northeast on Monday, followed by backside snow showers on Tuesday. 

Forecast for Wed, Feb 24 – Thu, Feb 25

The next storm will bring moderate to heavy snow to British Columbia on Wednesday night and Thursday, while snow will also pick up across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho during the day on Thursday. Farther south, a storm with easterly winds will favor the Front Range of Colorado though most ski areas will see only light snow. A weak storm will also bring a round of light snow showers to the northeast on Wednesday and Thursday.

Forecast for Fri, Feb 26 – Sat, Feb 27

The main focus of the Western storm will shift south into the Cascades and U.S. Rockies on Friday and Saturday with lighter lingering snow showers across BC and Alberta. Another storm will bring heavy snow to Alaska on Saturday before snow extends southward into BC on Saturday night. A storm will impact the East on Saturday, but most areas will see snow changing to rain except for perhaps the higher elevations of Northern New England. 

Outlook for Sun, Feb 28 – Thu, Mar 4

The storm track will continue to favor Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest heading into early March with British Columbia, Washington, and Northern Idaho being the most favored regions. Weaker storms could bring snow to the Sierras and Central/Southern Rockies during this time as well. The East could see additional storms during this period but may experience rain issues due to warmer than average temperatures expected. 

Thanks so much for reading! Check back for my next post on Wednesday, February 24th.

ALAN SMITH

NEW: Estimated Snowfall Maps

In addition to the Current & Forecast Radar, Estimated Snow Depth, Wind Gust Forecast, and Avalanche Forecast maps, we now have Estimated 24-Hour Snowfall and Estimated Season-to-Date Snowfall map layers on OpenSnow!

The data will update daily, around 20z (1 PM Mountain), with the latest available information. The delay in updating to the early afternoon is due to the accuracy of the data being improved each hour after it’s initially available at 14z (7 AM Mountain).

NOAA continues to update the data each hour with the latest available data from SNOTEL sites and local observations and we’ve found that the quality/accuracy improves significantly after about 6 hours.

And to clarify one more time, these new maps are estimates and they will not always match what is reported on OpenSnow, directly from the ski resorts.

For the OpenSnow iOS app, make sure you’re updated to v3.5.5

For the OpenSnow Android app, make sure you’re updated to v3.5.6

View all of our map overlays on any device by upgrading to All-Access for $29.99/year (Single) or $39.99/year (Group). The subscription includes unlimited Daily Snow reads, 5-day hourly forecasts, 10-day snow forecasts, and much more.

More Info → NEW: Estimated Snowfall Maps