Heavy snow for Canada this weekend and next week

A series of strong storms loaded with moisture will impact Western Canada this weekend and into the middle part of next week. Average snow levels will be around mid-mountain for most ski resorts in Southern BC this weekend before lowering to near base areas by later Monday and into Tuesday. Whistler, Revelstoke, Banff, and Lake Louise could all see deep base-building accumulations, especially on the upper slopes. 

Forecast for Fri 10/28 – Sat 10/29:

Heavy snow will fall across the higher terrain of BC and Alberta on Friday and Saturday. The Cascades in Washington & Oregon will see mostly rain due to warmer air resulting in higher snow levels (i.e. rain/snow line) that will be near ski resort summits. Higher elevations of the North Cascades above the rain/snow line will receive heavy, wet snow. 

Forecast for Sun 10/30 – Mon 10/31:

The pattern will largely remain the same out west with heavy snow continuing to fall across BC and Alberta, while ski areas in Washington and Northern Oregon/Idaho will see mostly rain with snow levels remaining near or above ski resort summits. 

Forecast for Tue 11/1 – Wed 11/2:

On Tuesday, a storm will begin to dig southward into the Western U.S. and a cold front will also arrive, resulting in lowering snow levels across BC and the Pacific NW with many areas seeing a transition from rain to snow. On Tuesday night and Wednesday, snow will develop across Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Range as well as the Great Basin and Northern U.S. Rockies. 

Outlook for Thu 11/3 – Mon 11/7:

Early on in this period, a storm will likely impact the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, Northern Arizona, and New Mexico all in position to pick up some new snow. An active storm track will also resume further north during this period, favoring Western Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and the Northern U.S. Rockies.

Warmer-than-average temperatures will persist across the East during this period with no snow expected.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Monday (10/31).

ALAN SMITH

Estimated Snow Reports

If ski resort locations are closed or do not provide OpenSnow with an official snow report, we use our proprietary weather data to provide an estimated snow report for the past 24 hours. Check for the "Estimated" badge on the OpenSnow app and website.

Below is an example that I pulled from Aspen Highlands on Monday morning. Reality on the left (9") and our estimated snow report on the right (9")...

This also applies to any backcountry location or "custom location", meaning that you can get an idea of recent snow conditions and an estimated snowfall history for your favorite backcountry spots.

This data is available exclusively to All-Access subscribers. Snow reports that are provided to OpenSnow from the ski resorts will always be free.