Active coast-to-coast pattern continues

March is off to an incredible start for ski regions throughout North America, and this trend will continue this week with more strong storms on the way. The Sierra Nevada will get slammed yet again, while most other ski regions out West will see significant snow this week as well. A strong storm will also impact New York and New England early this week, and the Midwest could potentially see a big storm late in the week.

Forecast for Mon, Mar 13 – Tue, Mar 14:

A strong storm will impact the Pacific Northwest on Monday with heavy snow for Washington and BC, while a second storm will slam into the California coast on Tuesday with heavy snow for the Sierra Nevada Range as well as Central/Southern Idaho.

A Nor'easter will impact the East on Monday night and Tuesday with deep snow totals expected across the Catskills in New York as well as Southern New England, while Northern New England will be a close call on the northern fringe. Areas further south in the Mid-Atlantic including Pennsylvania and West Virginia will get in on the action as well.

Forecast for Wed, Mar 15 – Thu, Mar 16:

Snow will spread inland across the Rockies on Wednesday and Thursday with moderate to heavy snow expected from the Tetons to the Wasatch to the San Juans. Lighter snow showers will linger across the Cascades and Sierra, while a stronger storm will impact the Coast Range of Southeast Alaska.

Snow from Tuesday's Nor'easter will linger across New England early on Wednesday, then a break in the action is expected across the East for the rest of this period. 

Forecast for Fri, Mar 17 – Sat, Mar 18:

Most areas of the West will see a break in the pattern during this period, except for areas near the Continental Divide in Colorado and New Mexico where some snow could linger. A stronger storm is likely to move into the Upper Midwest during this period with heavy snow possible for some areas, though confidence is low on the storm track at this time.

Outlook for Sun, Mar 19 – Thu, Mar 23:

No signs of spring heading into late March as consistent below-average temperatures are expected to continue across the Lower 48, while Canada and Alaska will start to trend milder. The storm track will favor the southern portion of the Western U.S. from California to Utah to Colorado, though storms may not be as strong compared to recent weeks. Additional shots of snow are possible across the Northeast as well.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Wednesday (March 15).

ALAN SMITH