US and Canada Daily Snow
By Alan Smith, Meteorologist Posted 1 day ago January 31, 2025
A Significant and Complicated Storm Cycle for the West
Summary
Heavy snow is coming to much of the West as a slow-moving trough of low pressure will set up just off the Pacific Coast for the better part of a week. There are forecast challenges, however, in terms of moisture and temperature on the southern fringe of the storm track from Tahoe to Utah. The Northwest will see colder temps & deep snow totals. In the East, New England will see several storms.
Short Term Forecast
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7-Day Snow Forecast:
We have a significant storm cycle on the way for the West this weekend and early next week. A trough of low pressure will deepen over the Northwest and will then set up off the coast for several days, and an atmospheric river (narrow plume of subtropical moisture) will impact the Sierra and parts of the Rockies with heavy snow, heavy rain, and high winds.
An active pattern will also continue across the East with several storms tracking across the Great Lakes and New England. Ski resorts in Upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Quebec are favored for the deepest totals.
More Details → New England Daily Snow
Forecast for Fri (Jan 31) to Sat (Feb 1):
Heavy snow will fall across the Northwest and Northern Rockies and temperatures will also be dropping as colder air arrives, resulting in low snow levels and high snow-liquid ratios (i.e. powder).
More details from our local experts:
Snow will also develop across Tahoe and Utah as the subtropical moisture plume associated with the atmospheric river arrives. Snow levels will be on the rise over time with lower terrain seeing a changeover to rain.
In the East, a storm will bring light to moderate snow to New York and Southern New England with rain expected from Pennsylvania southward. A storm will also bring moderate snow to the Northern Great Lakes on Saturday night.
Forecast for Sun (Feb 2) to Mon (Feb 3):
The atmospheric river will remain over the Western U.S. with very heavy snow for some areas, but considerable uncertainty remains in exactly how far north/south the moisture plume will set up, and how far north significant warming will occur.
Tahoe and Utah are likely to see rain up to mid-mountain or higher at times but these areas have the lowest confidence in terms of potential rain/snow amounts. Further north, Idaho, Western Wyoming, and Southwest Montana are a good bet to receive heavy snow, but temperatures (and snow levels/snow quality) are a big question mark.
Be sure to check in with our local experts for the latest on the complexities of this storm:
In the Northwest and Far Northern Rockies, lingering moisture will result in additional snowfall... and while this snow may be lighter compared to areas further south, temperatures will be much colder and snow quality will be better as a result.
In the East, a stronger storm will move across the Northeast and New England with widespread moderate accumulations expected.
Forecast for Tue (Feb 4) to Wed (Feb 5):
The trough of low pressure that had been spinning off the coast will begin to push inland and colder air should eventually arrive with snow levels trending lower across the Sierra and Central Rockies. Tahoe has the potential to see deep totals and Colorado could get in more on the action as well.
Still, considerable uncertainty remains in the timing, storm track, and snow levels/precipitation type.
A storm is also projected to track across the Great Lakes and Northeast/New England. However, models are in poor agreement on temperature and precipitation type, with possibilities ranging from all-snow to mixed precipitation to rain.
Extended Forecast
Outlook for Thu (Feb 6) to Mon (Feb 10):
A modestly active pattern is expected to continue across the West, but with weaker storms and lighter snowfall compared to the week prior. However, temperatures are expected to be colder for most of the West.
In the East, an active storm track is expected to continue across the Great Lakes and New England, while mild temperatures may limit snowfall potential across the Mid-Atlantic.
Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Monday (February 3).
Alan Smith
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