New Mexico Storm:

A cut-off low will move into the Southwest on Wednesday and Thursday and will tap into moisture from the Gulf of Mexico to produce heavy snow in New Mexico. The deepest snow totals are forecast in Angel Fire, Ski Santa Fe, and Pajarito, with somewhat lighter totals further north in Taos and across the Colorado border, including Wolf Creek and Purgatory.

Check out the New Mexico Daily Snow for more details and updates on this storm. 

Forecast for Wed (Dec 13) to Thu (Dec 14):

The storm over the Southwest will bring snow to New Mexico and Southern Colorado while the rest of the Lower 48 looks quiet aside from some flurries in the Northeast. A storm will move across BC with light snow expected for most ski resorts in Southern BC, while Northwest BC and Southeast Alaska will see heavy snow.

Forecast for Fri (Dec 15) to Sat (Dec 16):

A storm will bring snow to Central BC while dry conditions will prevail across the Western U.S. A storm will move into the Great Lakes region from the northwest with mixed precipitation expected. The East will see a dry pattern with warmer temperatures also expected.

Forecast for Sun (Dec 17) to Mon (Dec 18):

A storm will reach the West Coast on Monday with rain likely along the California Coast, but the storm is expected to weaken moving inland with uncertain snow potential for Tahoe. Warm air in place will also result in high snow levels, which could mean rain or a rain/snow mix for ski resorts in Oregon and Washington.

A storm will also move across the East during this period with rain expected to be the dominant precipitation type. Some areas could see a changeover to snow on the colder backside of the storm.

Alaska will be the most favored for heavy snow as storms continue to slam the coastal ranges. 

Outlook for Tue (Dec 19) to Sat (Dec 23):

A more active pattern should slowly start to take shape along the West Coast, especially in California. But confidence is low in terms of how well storms will hold together moving inland, even across the Sierra and Tahoe region. High pressure will be slower to break down over the Rockies, so while some snow is possible, it may take some time for significant storms to reach this region.

Elsewhere, an active storm track is likely to continue further north from Central BC to Alaska, while the East and the Midwest are looking warm with reduced snow potential.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Friday (December 15).

Alan Smith

Download Offline Trail Maps

Before losing service on the mountain, add ski resort trail maps to your Favorites screen in the OpenSnow app and download them to view offline.

1. Go to Favorites > Trail Maps > Add Trail Maps
2. Search for the ski resort and select the trail map
3. Go back to Favorites > Trail Maps
4. Tap the cloud icon in the lower right
5. Blue Cloud Icon = Available Offline

You can also go to Settings > Your Favorites > Trail Maps in the OpenSnow app to edit and/or view any trail map that you have already favorited.

Favorites → Trail Maps