Late-season snow and below-average temperatures for the West:

Spring is a back-and-forth season of transition, and following a stretch of warmer & sunnier weather for many areas, a more winter-like pattern will return to the higher terrain of the West this week with multiple rounds of snow along with chilly temperatures. The Northwest and parts of the Rockies will see the most snow from this pattern, while the Tahoe region will also see a quick shot of snow early this week.

Check out our Powder Finder to get an idea of where the heaviest snow is expected:

Forecast for Mon, Apr 17 – Tue, Apr 18:

A storm will make landfall in the Pacific Northwest during this period with moderate to heavy snow expected across portions of the Cascades, Western Canada, and Northern U.S. Rockies while the Northern Sierra around Tahoe will also see a round of snow on Tuesday.

A strong storm will also impact the Upper Midwest with heavy snow expected across portions of the Western Great Lakes. The storm will spread lighter precipitation into the Northeast, with light snow mixing in at times across the higher elevations. 

Forecast for Wed, Apr 19 – Thu, Apr 20:

An active northwest flow pattern will linger across the West during this period with more subtle disturbances moving through on a frequent basis. This will result in additional periods of snow across the Northwest and the Northern/Central Rockies with temperatures running well below average. 

Lingering flurries are possible across the higher elevations of New York and New England on Wednesday before drying out on Thursday. Another storm will reach the Upper Midwest during this period with mostly rain expected for Michigan & Wisconsin, while heavy snow is expected across Northern Minnesota.

Forecast for Fri, Apr 21 – Sat, Apr 22:

An unsettled northwest flow will persist across the Northern and Central Rockies during this period with additional periods of snow showers possible. Another storm involving warmer air will reach the Northwest with rising snow levels and periods of rain and snow expected. 

A storm will move into the East during this period with rain showers expected, while snow will remain possible across portions of the Upper Midwest on the colder backside of the storm.

Outlook for Sun, Apr 23 – Thu, Apr 27:

An overall warming trend is expected across the West during this period with the dominant storm track shifting northward and favoring the Coast Range of BC and Southeast Alaska. However, weaker storms could still move into the Western U.S. from time to time. A colder pattern is also expected across the East with occasional rain showers along with the potential for light snow at times for the higher elevations of the Mid-Atlantic and New England. 

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Wednesday (April 19).

ALAN SMITH

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