More storms ahead for the West as we close out October

A major change to the weather pattern occurred out West last weekend as the first big storm of the season brought snow to most major ski regions. Although reports are limited this early in the season, Alta seems to be the big winner so far with 19 inches as of Sunday.

An active pattern will continue this week with below-average temperatures and additional shots of snow. The first of two storms over the next four days will primarily favor the Northwest early this week, while a second storm will deepen further south with additional snow for both the Northwest and the Rockies.

Forecast for Mon 10/24 – Tue 10/25:

Lingering snow across New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah will taper off on Monday morning. The next storm will then impact Western Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and the Northern U.S. Rockies on Monday and Tuesday with BC, Washington, and Northern Idaho expected to see the heaviest snowfall.

Forecast for Wed 10/26 – Thu 10/27:

The next storm will deepen further to the south as it moves inland, and as a result, snow can be expected across the Pacific Northwest, Northern Rockies, and Wasatch on Wednesday, and Colorado and possibly Arizona/New Mexico on Thursday. A strong storm will then begin to impact Alaska and Central/Northwest BC on Thursday with heavy snow likely. 

Forecast for Fri 10/28 – Sat 10/9:

Lingering snow showers will be possible across New Mexico and Southern Colorado on Friday, then conditions will dry out across the Rockies heading into the weekend.

The next storm will bring warmer temperatures and rising snow levels to Washington and Oregon on Friday/Saturday with mostly rain expected for ski areas south of the US/Canada border. North of the border, temperatures are expected to stay colder, which could result in heavy snow across both the coastal and interior ranges of Southern & Central BC.

Outlook for Sun 10/30 – Wed 11/3:

An active pattern will continue across the West during this period with storms favoring Western Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and the Northern/Central U.S. Rockies. A milder pattern will persist across the East with above-average warmth, along with drier conditions for the Northeast and wetter conditions for the Southeast.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Wednesday (10/26).

ALAN SMITH

Forecast Anywhere

You can now get a forecast for any location (on land) across the globe, and you can save any of these "Custom Locations" as a favorite. 

Any "Custom Location" comes with estimated 24-hour snowfall. This means that you can set a "Custom Location" for your favorite backcountry spot and get estimated snowfall and estimated snowfall history. Since most backcountry areas do not have snow measurement equipment located at that exact spot, this feature will be a useful way to get a general estimate of how much snow has fallen.

To set your first "Custom Location", make sure that you are using the latest version of our iOS or Android apps (this works on our website, too!), then go to the Map tab, tap any spot on the map, and you're on the way to creating your first "Custom Location". You can learn more about Forecast Anywhere in this short how-to article.

Being able to get the forecast and save points as "Custom Locations" means that you can use our forecast data for any place you'd like to go - for backcountry skiing, camping, or even to see how much we think it'll snow in your backyard. And remember that "Custom Locations" works worldwide, so if you're traveling to a spot on the globe where we don't have a resort-based forecast (we have forecasts for many spots outside the US), go ahead and set up a "Custom Location".

And the last note is that "Custom Locations" are private and no other OpenSnow subscribers will be able to see the "Custom Locations" that you create.

Please check out this new feature and let us know what you think!