The 300-inch (and for some, 400-inch) Club:

It's been an incredible start to the season for much of the West with California and Utah receiving the brunt of the storms in recent weeks. OpenSnow's Tahoe forecaster, Bryan Allegretto, put together this informative chart showing the highest season-to-date snowfall totals at ski resorts across the Contiguous Western U.S. so far this season.

These totals are valid as of January 17, 2023:

Looking beyond the Lower 48, we can also add Alyeska, Alaska to the 300-inch club as they have received 324 inches so far this season.

Brighton (422") and Alta (415") have both received over 400 inches so far this season and are the leaders in North America. Snow continued to fall across the Wasatch on Tuesday, so it's likely that Snowbird (pictured below) will be joining the 400-inch club by the time Wednesday morning's snow report is released.

Following a barrage of storms in recent weeks, California has 13 resorts with over 300 inches of snow so far this season. The Central Sierra Snow Lab is also experiencing its snowiest start to the season as of January 17 with data going back to 1971. Check out the season-to-date snowfall chart, courtesy of Bryan Allegretto. 

Forecast for Wed, Jan 17 – Thu, Jan 18:

A storm will primarily impact the Front Range of Colorado on Wednesday with lighter snow showers lingering west of the Divide. Another storm will impact the West Coast during this period with snow expected from Alaska and BC southward into the Cascades and the Northern Sierra Nevada Range. This storm will weaken as it moves inland, however.

Two storms will impact the Northeast and Upper Midwest with mixed precipitation. The Lake Superior region will see the best chance of significant snowfall without any mixed precip issues. New York and New England will see a mix of rain, snow, and ice, while precipitation from Pennsylvania to North Carolina will be rain.

Forecast for Fri, Jan 19 – Sat, Jan 20:

A storm will impact the Four Corners region on Friday with moderate snowfall possible across portions of New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern Utah. A stronger storm originating in the Gulf of Alaska will bring moderate to heavy snow to BC and Northern Washington from late Friday through Saturday. 

Across the East, a storm will be ongoing on Friday with colder air resulting in a changeover to snow across New England with the potential for moderate to heavy totals in some areas. Light snow will be possible southward into West Virginia with lake effect snow also possible in the Upper Midwest. 

Forecast for Sun, Jan 21 – Mon, Jan 22:

A strong storm is possible across the East during this period. But as is usually the case 5-6 days out, confidence is low with regards to the exact storm track, which will influence which areas will see all-snow versus rain or mixed precip, and also which areas will be favored for the deepest snow totals. 

Across the West, 1-2 storms are likely to track from northwest to southeast near the Continental Divide with light to moderate snow from BC/Alberta to New Mexico. The Northern BC Coast Range up to Alaska will be favored for deeper snow totals.

Outlook for Tue, Jan 24 – Sat, Jan 28:

A northwest flow storm track will persist across the West during this period, which will continue to favor areas near the Continental Divide in the Rockies with light to moderate snow. An active pattern is also expected to continue across the Northeast with additional snow chances expected along with a cooling trend compared to recent weeks. 

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Friday (Jan 20).

ALAN SMITH