Big Picture:

Our overall pattern really hasn't changed much since we last chatted on Wednesday, October 5.

A strong ridge of high pressure continues to park over much of the Western United States. There was a hint of snow for parts of the Intermountain West for Tuesday, October 11 and into Wednesday, October 12 but this storm fizzled out as it dived down from the north. So it goes!

The one positive that we can take away from this mild and dry pattern has been gorgeous leaf-peeping conditions throughout the high country. 

Ideal conditions call for sunny days and cold nights and that's exactly what we've experienced across Colorado over the past week, leading to the definition of peak foliage in places like Steamboat (see above) and Aspen. We all want winter but I'll never complain about a few extra weeks of cool and dry fall weather.

Forecast for Wed (10/12) – Thu (10/13):

The forecast for the next 7+ days will feel a lot like groundhog day as the main storm track stays to the north, bringing snow to Alaska and mixed conditions to the Upper Midwest and the East Coast. Elsewhere, it's quiet with mild days and cool, cloud-free nights.

Forecast for Fri (10/14) – Sat (10/15):

Does the map below look almost identical? You would be correct as snow in Alaska and unsettled conditions continue across the eastern half of the United States and Canada. Perfect fall weather will remain in place for the western half of the United States. Plan to get out and enjoy these conditions.

Forecast for Sun (10/16) – Mon (10/17):

Looking ahead to early next week, we'll likely see a storm drift into the Southwest and bring another round of wet conditions to places like Arizona, New Mexico, southern Colorado, and Texas. These areas will never complain about the precipitation. Elsewhere, it's much of the same as dry conditions remain in place across the Pacific Northwest, West Coast, and Intermountain West.

Outlook for Tue (10/18) – Mon (10/24):

The mild and quiet pattern for the West and cooler weather for the East won't really change much as we look ahead to October 18 through the weekend of October 22/23.

Temperatures will continue to be borderline for snowmaking for places like A-Basin, Loveland, Keystone, and Killington as daytime highs climb into the 40s and overnight lows only drop into the low 30s to upper 20s. Resort skiing will likely not commence until at least the final days of October and into early November.

Looking further ahead, there are very encouraging signs for an active pattern beginning to develop as we flip the calendar into the final week of October. All longer-range models continue to show storminess, as shown in the blue colors on the map below.

Does this mean that all regions across the Western United States and Canada will receive heavy snowfall? No, but this is at least encouraging for a change in the weather and increases the chances for a shift toward more winter-like conditions.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Monday (10/17).

SAM COLLENTINE

We just updated the OpenSnow iOS and Android app with a SUPER cool new feature called Forecast Anywhere.

You can now get the forecast for any location on Earth (that's on land). You can also save these custom points to view on your Favorites screen.

This means that you can get the forecast for the exact location of your next adventure, or your secret powder stash, or yes - even your house. Every custom point is private and nobody will see your point except you, so your secret powder stash will be safe.

Tap here for a quick visual step-by-step guide about how to use Forecast Anywhere.

The Forecast Anywhere functionality is live now on our iOS and Android apps (if you don't see it, please update your app), and it will be live on our website in the coming weeks.

Download → OpenSnow.com/app