Deep pattern continues out West

Three storms will impact the West over the next 6-7 days, bringing more snow to most major ski regions. Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Range will be the big winner in this pattern with snow measured in feet, while the PNW and the U.S. Rockies will also be favored. Check out the 5-day snowfall projection (from a blend of weather models) from Wednesday through Sunday.

Forecast for Wed, Dec 8 – Thu, Dec 9:

A storm over the Southwest will bring additional waves of snow to Southern Utah and Western Colorado on Wednesday & Wednesday night, with a little bit for Arizona and New Mexico as well. A storm will also reach the PNW on Thursday with snow developing from Coastal British Columbia to Northern California. The East will see another rain event on Wednesday.

Forecast for Fri, Dec 10 – Sat, Dec 11:

On Friday, a weakening storm will move across the Sierra and into the Central Rockies with light to moderate snow expected. A strong storm will then reach the West Coast on Saturday, with heavy snow developing across the PNW, Tahoe, and Idaho.

A storm featuring a relatively narrow band of snow will move across southern portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan on Friday with moderate to heavy snow possible while northern portions of these states will only see light snow. As the storm moves east, a rain/snow mix is expected across portions of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic.  

Forecast for Sun, Dec 12 – Mon, Dec 13:

A strong storm will impact nearly the entire West during this period with the highest snow totals expected across Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Range in particular. Utah and Idaho could also score deep totals. A storm will also move across the Northeast with New York and Pennsylvania looking most favored for snow, while New England is right on the edge.

Outlook for Tue, Dec 13 – Sat, Dec 17:

Lingering snow from the strong Western storm on Dec 11-12 could persist across the Central Rockies in Tue, Dec 13, then a relative lull in the action is expected though temperatures will remain below average. There are some hints of energy reaching the West Coast again later in this period.

The strong Western storm from early in the week will sweep across central and eastern parts of the U.S. during this period, but it looks like it will be another rain event for eastern ski resorts while the Upper Midwest may have a better chance of snow. Toward the end of this period, there are hints of colder air reaching the East, but we'll see.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Friday (Dec 9).

ALAN SMITH