Heavy Snow for Tahoe, Northwest, & Northern Rockies this Weekend

US and Canada Daily Snow

By Alan Smith, Meteorologist Posted 2 hours ago December 13, 2024

Summary

A storm remains on track for the West from Friday to Sunday with the deepest snow totals favoring the Sierra, Cascades, BC Coast Range, and Northern Rockies. A weaker storm will move across the West early next week, followed by a warming/drying trend through Christmas. The East will see a mild pattern with more rain than snow through early next week, followed by a colder pattern late next week.

Short Term Forecast

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5-Day Snow Forecast:

A strong storm will impact the West this weekend, followed by a light refresh early next week, with snow totals over the next 5 days ranging from 12-30 inches in the Sierra, Cascades, and BC Coast Range and 6-18 inches across the Northern Rockies.

Ski areas favored for deeper snow totals in this pattern include:

For more details, check out these discussions from our local experts...

Forecast for Fri (Dec 13) to Sat (Dec 14):

The storm will move into the West with heavy snow developing. Temperatures will be warmer at the start (high-density snow) with colder air arriving on Saturday and Saturday night (transition to lower-density snow). The East will see a lull in the pattern, while a storm will reach the Upper Midwest on Saturday with mixed precipitation expected.

Forecast for Sun (Dec 15) to Mon (Dec 16):

Snow will fall across the Central Rockies on Sunday with light to moderate totals as the storm weakens during its eastward journey. Another storm will reach the West Coast on Monday with light to moderate snow for the Sierra, Cascades, and Southern BC.

A storm will move across the East with precipitation starting out as snow or a mix across the higher terrain of the Mid-Atlantic and New England, but an eventual change-over to all-rain is expected.

Forecast for Tue (Dec 17) to Wed (Dec 18):

A weaker storm will move across the West on Tuesday with light to moderate snow for parts of the Northwest and the Rockies. Another storm is possible over the Northwest and BC on Wednesday but confidence is low as not all models are on board with this.

The East will see a rain event on Tuesday with light snow possible early on Wednesday as colder air arrives on the backside of the storm. A colder storm will reach the Upper Midwest on Wednesday with light to moderate snow developing.

Extended Forecast

Outlook for Thu (Dec 19) to Mon (Dec 23):

A ridge of high pressure will take hold over the West during this period with unseasonably warm temperatures expected (not including valley inversions). Most of the Western U.S. will see dry conditions, while storms will be possible further north in BC and Alaska with an increased threat of rain given the mild air and higher snow levels.

The East will transition back to a colder pattern with below-average temperatures expected. A storm is projected to arrive early in this period with snow or rain (or a mix) possible depending on the storm track. Additional snow chances are expected later in the period as the cold airmass takes hold.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Monday (December 16).

Alan Smith

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