Arctic Air Looms with Snow Favoring the East and the Rockies

US and Canada Daily Snow

By Alan Smith, Meteorologist Posted 3 hours ago January 15, 2025

Summary

An arctic cold front will move from north to south into the Western U.S. on Friday and Saturday before spreading into the Eastern U.S. early next week, resulting in some of the coldest air of the season so far in many areas. Storms will continue to favor the East from late this week through early next week, while the Rockies will see a shot of snow Thursday-Saturday as the front arrives.

Short Term Forecast

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Cold Snap Ahead for Much of North America:

The weather pattern will become highly amplified late this week as a tall ridge of high pressure builds along the West Coast northward into Alaska while a deep trough of low pressure sets up over the Central and Eastern U.S.

This will open the door for arctic air to spill southward into Southern Canada and the U.S., resulting in the coldest temperatures of the season for many areas this weekend and next week.

The arctic front will reach the Rockies and Central U.S. on Friday-Saturday, with well below average temperatures expected behind the front on Saturday and Sunday.

Arctic air will spread eastward early next week with anomalous cold over the Central and Eastern U.S. by Monday and Tuesday.

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7-Day Snow Forecast:

Snowfall will favor the East during the next week with several storms projected to move through. The Great Lakes, Northern Mid-Atlantic, and Vermont will be favored for the deepest snow totals in this pattern.

Favored ski resorts include...

More details from our local experts...

Across the West, a drier pattern has taken hold. However, as the arctic front moves through late this week, light to moderate snow will develop across the Rockies with areas east of the Continental Divide favored for the highest totals.

Ski areas favored in this pattern include...

Bridger Bowl (MT)
Red Lodge (MT)
Meadowlark (WY)
Eldora (CO)
Wolf Creek (CO)
Taos (NM)

More details from our local experts...

Forecast for Wed (Jan 15) to Thu (Jan 16):

Two weak storms will track across the Great Lakes and Northern Mid-Atlantic with snowfall favoring Michigan, Western New York, and West Virginia, while Vermont will also see light amounts.

Moderate to heavy snow will fall across Northern BC and Alberta on Wednesday with light snow spreading into Southern BC and Alberta on Thursday as an arctic front moves through from the north.

Forecast for Fri (Jan 17) to Sat (Jan 18):

In the West, the arctic front will slide from north to south with light to moderate snow developing across the Rockies, favoring areas east of the Divide.

In the East, a brief warm-up will occur in advance of the arctic airmass but a storm will bring snow to the higher terrain of the Mid-Atlantic and New England as well as lake effect favored areas, with rain or mixed precipitation for lower elevation areas.

Forecast for Sun (Jan 19) to Mon (Jan 20):

Arctic air will reach the East and another storm is likely to bring more snow to parts of the Mid-Atlantic and New England, though confidence in the storm track and details are low this far out. More lake effect snow is also possible from Michigan to Western New York.

The West will see a drying trend with frigid temperatures persisting across the Rockies. We could see some light lingering snow across New Mexico and portions of the Southern Rockies on Sunday, but confidence is low.

A strong storm is expected in Alaska with heavy snow possible.

Extended Forecast

Outlook for Tue (Jan 21) to Sat (Jan 25):

Frigid temperatures will persist from the Rockies to the East with gradual moderation expected from west to east later in this period. The West Coast will see a warmer pattern with temperatures rising above average.

The East will continue to be favored with more storms possible for all major ski regions (Mid-Atlantic, New England, and the Upper Midwest).

The West will be dry early in this period, but it's possible we could see some snow enter the picture across the Northwest and Northern Rockies later in this period.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Friday (January 17).

Alan Smith

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