Recent Snow Totals across North America:

Last week was active from coast to coast with the Sierra Nevada Range continuing to get dumped on, while leftover moisture and energy moving inland delivered the goods to the Rockies as well. Further north, snow levels were iffy due to a subtropical airmass but interior and northern portions of BC picked up some nice snow totals. 

The East finally saw a good storm with rain changing over to snow last Friday and Saturday, with double-digit totals reported across New England and Quebec, and also further south in North Carolina. 

Check out the deepest 5-day snow reports across North America from last Wednesday to Sunday (note: these reports are submitted by ski resorts, and some may be missing). 

Forecast for Mon, Jan 16 – Tue, Jan 17:

A storm will bring heavy snow to the Sierra and the Southwest on Monday & Tuesday, with deep totals expected for Tahoe and Mammoth, as well as Arizona, Southern Utah, Southwest Colorado, and Northern New Mexico. The Northwest will see lingering snow showers taper off Monday morning before the next round arrives late Tuesday. Heavy snow can be expected further north across the BC Coast Range up to Alaska.

After finally seeing a good storm last weekend, mild air will return to the East with a mixed bag of precipitation. A storm spinning off the Coast of New England on Monday will result in a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain across Maine and New Hampshire. A storm will also move from the Upper Midwest into the East on Tuesday with mostly rain expected while the Lake Superior region will see a changeover to snow. 

Forecast for Wed, Jan 18 – Thu, Jan 19:

The focus of the southwest storm will shift into the Front Range of Colorado on Wednesday with the heaviest snow expected along the east slopes of the Continental Divide and out onto the adjacent plains. Another storm will reach the West Coast but is expected to split with heavy snow for the BC Coast Range and portions of the Sierra Nevada Range, with lower confidence for the Cascades. 

Another storm will impact the East on Thursday with mixed precipitation developing across the Northeast while the Mid-Atlantic down to the Southern Appalachians will see all-rain. Heavy snow is possible on the colder northwest side of this storm over the Great Lakes.  

Forecast for Fri, Jan 20 – Sat, Jan 21:

A ridge of high pressure will build over the West Coast during this period, giving California its first extended break from storms in a long time. A stronger storm from the Gulf of Alaska will impact BC during this period with snow also reaching the far Northwest U.S. by Saturday. Also, a storm could potentially develop over Arizona and New Mexico during this period.

A cold front will move across the Northeast during this period with mixed precipitation changing to all-snow, with the potential for decent accumulations across New England. 

Outlook for Sun, Jan 22 – Thu, Jan 26:

The West will head into a relatively quiet pattern compared to recent weeks with high pressure over the West Coast. However, storms could sneak in from the northwest and bring snow to the BC Interior, Canadian Rockies, and Northern/Central U.S. Rockies from time to time. Temperatures will also be colder than average across the Rockies.

The East will see a relatively active pattern as well with snow chances for the Great Lakes, Northeast, and New England.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Wednesday (Jan 18).

ALAN SMITH