Snow Returns to the West:

Conditions have been rather spring-like across the West over the past several days, but a more active pattern is at our doorstep with temperatures trending colder through the first 7-10 days of February. The dominant storm track will favor the Sierra Nevada Range and the Southwest U.S. including Southern Utah and Colorado, while the Northern Rockies will get in on the action as well with southerly flow favoring areas such as Sun Valley.

Check out the following Daily Snows from our local forecasters for more details on this upcoming pattern:

• Tahoe
• Mammoth
• Southern California
• Arizona
• Utah
• Colorado
• New Mexico
• Idaho
• Boise Region

Forecast for Wed (Jan 31) to Thu (Feb 1):

A storm will make landfall in California with snow developing across the Sierra along with a trend toward decreasing temperatures and lowering snow levels. The Pacific Northwest will continue to see periods of rain, with snow levels gradually lowering enough on Thursday for some ski higher-elevation ski areas to see a change-over to snow near the summits. 

Across the East, a weak storm will slide into the Southern Appalachians, but the storm has trended weaker with only light snow expected. Flurries are also possible across Nothern New England and Southeast Quebec.

Forecast for Fri (Feb 2) to Sat (Feb 3):

The storm will move inland with snow showers lingering across the Sierra, while heavy snow will develop across portions of Arizona, Southern Utah, and Western Colorado. Snow will also reach the Northern Rockies, favoring Central Idaho and to a lesser extent Western Montana and Wyoming.

Across the East, the forecast has trended drier but we may see some light snow showers develop across Northern New England.

Forecast for Sun (Feb 4) to Mon (Feb 5):

Snow will linger across parts of the Central and Northern Rockies on Sunday, while another storm will make landfall in California with snow picking back up across the Sierra on Sunday and Monday. Lighter snow from this storm will spread into the Northern Rockies from the southwest on Monday.

Across the East, a storm will move into the Southeast and there's a chance that snow could develop in the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia, but it's also possible the storm will track too far south.

Outlook for Tue (Feb 6) to Sat (Feb 10):

The storm track will continue to favor the Sierra and the Southwest during this period, while the Northwest and Northern Rockies could pick up lighter snowfall at times on the northern fringe. A relatively quiet pattern is expected across the East with temperatures trending warmer. 

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Friday (Feb 2).

Alan Smith 

Compare Favorites: Current Conditions & 10-Day Forecasts

Finding the location that has the best conditions can feel overwhelming.

With OpenSnow, deciding where to go is easy. Compare the latest 10-day forecast, current conditions, and cams for your favorite locations in just a few seconds.

Get started by pulling up your Favorites screen in the OpenSnow app and scroll through the following tabs.

• Locations
• Daily Snows
• Cams
• Passes
• Trail Maps

Compare 10-day forecasts, read local Daily Snow forecasters, watch the snow pile up with snow stake cams, view the deepest report for your season pass(es), and download offline trail maps, all on one screen.

You can also organize your favorite locations using our "Winter" and "Summer" lists. This way you can view only the locations that you care about during that season. For example, your "snow/ski/board" locations could be in your "Winter" list and your "dirt/hike/bike" locations could be in your "Summer" list.

Learn More → Compare Your Favorites