Welcome to the Daily Summit!

Similar to the Daily Snows we post in the winter for OpenSnow, the Daily Summit will feature weather discussions for the Western U.S. with an emphasis on summer activities, including hiking, peak bagging, climbing, mountain biking, and more! 

I will typically post updates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays moving forward but occasionally this will vary.

If you haven't already, be sure to download the OpenSummit App. We have added weather forecasts for a ton of new summits, hiking/mountain biking areas, parks, etc. throughout the United States since last year and will continue to add more in the future. 

Also, to get the most out of OpenSummit including 5-day detailed forecasts for summits/trails and interactive weather map layers, sign up for an All-Access subscription if you haven't already. An All-Access subscription works for both OpenSummit and OpenSnow.

Snowpack Update

Let's get started with an update on snowpack across the West, since this impacts when trails and summits become more accessible and also influences drought conditions and summer fire danger.

Currently, snowpack is below average for mid-May across most of the West. California, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah are really hurting, while Western Montana, Western Wyoming, and Western Colorado are also well below average despite some of these regions having a decent winter for snowfall.

The notable exception is in the Washington Cascades where snowpack is well above average following a strong winter. As a result, higher elevation hiking trails will be melting out later than normal here.

Farther south, the Colorado Front Range and some of the eastern Continental Divide regions in Wyoming such as the Bighorn Range also have a stronger snowpack that is near or above average. 

The OpenSummit Snow Depth map is a great resource to help with planning spring and early summer adventures, as you can zoom in to exactly where you're planning to recreate and view snow depth estimates.

Here is a current view of snow depths across the West:

Forecast for Wed, May 19 – Thu, May 20

The pattern will be quite active across the West during this period. A large area of low pressure is currently located over the Pacific Northwest – this system will dig south into the Great Basin and stall out, spreading moisture into the Northern Rockies from the south. 

Meanwhile, a weaker area of low pressure over Colorado & New Mexico is resulting in unsettled weather for these areas as well.

Check out the OpenSummit Interactive Radar as of 1:30 pm MDT on Wednesday, which shows quite a bit of shower activity already, and more widespread precipitation across portions of Idaho and Montana.

Showers and thunderstorms will be most numerous across the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies on Wednesday and Thursday, and some shower activity will extend south into the Sierras on Thursday as well.

Farther south, Colorado and Northern New Mexico will also see showers and thunderstorms on Wednesday before drying out a bit on Thursday. 

Atmospheric instability will be highest from Northern Utah to Western Wyoming on Wednesday afternoon, including the Wasatch, Tetons, and Yellowstone. As a result, thunderstorm potential will be elevated in these regions, though storms will be possible all across the Rockies.

Cold air will also be arriving from the northwest, which combined with the surge in moisture from the south, will result in heavy snow across Montana – especially along the Continental Divide including Glacier National Park.

The higher elevations of the Bitterroots, Sawtooths, and Cascades will also pick up moderate to heavy snow, while light to moderate snow will extend as far south as the Sierras.

Forecast for Fri, May 21 – Sat, May 22

A large trough of low pressure will remain established over the Great Basin during this time with showers persisting across a large swath of the West.

The exceptions will be Washington where conditions will start to dry out, and across Southern Utah and Arizona where a dry cold front will usher in a welcome shot of cooler temperatures. It will be a great weekend to get out and play in the desert!

The focus of the heaviest precipitation during this period will be across the Tetons, Yellowstone, Wind Rivers, and Southwest Montana, and also farther south in the San Juan Range and into New Mexico.

High elevation snow will fall throughout the West on Friday and Saturday as well, with heavy amounts possible for some ranges.

Forecast for Sun, May 23 – Mon, May 24

On Sunday and Monday, the storm system previously parked over the West will finally lift from southwest to northeast across the Northern Rockies.

The focus of the heaviest precipitation will shift north again into Northern Idaho and Northwest Montana, while moderate precipitation will fall across Southwest Montana and Northwest Wyoming. 

Although Glacier National Park will be the focal point for the heaviest precipitation once again, warmer air will result in more rain versus snow unlike the previous wave on Wednesday/Thursday. The Tetons, Beartooths, and Wind Rivers, on the other hand, will see colder temperatures and lower snow levels.

Farther south, most areas will start to dry out except for the eastern ranges of New Mexico where shower activity will linger on Sunday. 

Outlook for Tue, May 25 – Sat, May 29

A secondary disturbance is projected to move across the Northwest and Northern Rockies, resulting in additional unsettled and showery weather across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming through much of next week.

Generally speaking, the farther south you go, the lower the odds of seeing anything more than light showers next week.

Temperatures will generally trend warmer throughout the West, with areas along the Continental Divide in the Northern/Central Rockies hanging onto relatively cool temperatures for the longest.

Thanks so much for reading and check back for my next post on Friday!

ALAN SMITH

Feel free to send over any recent photos related to weather, mountain, nature, or outdoor recreation in the Western U.S. to [email protected] for a chance to have your photo featured in one of my future posts!