Extreme winds and heavy snow are beginning to fall over the Sierra on Saturday morning. Strong winds and significant snow are also falling in the Cascades and western BC. While deep totals will be found initially on Saturday, strong winds continue. Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah grab decent leftovers Miday Saturday to Sunday. 12-18 inches are likely in many areas. Chase wisely due to the wind.

Friday morning snow reports showed 1” at Lookout Pass and 1" at Lost Trail. Our next storm, with a warm front on Sat and a cold front on Sun, will bring light snowfall accumulations of around a few inches to most Montana ski areas/resorts. Big Sky and Lookout Pass will see more moderate totals. Daily snow showers with occasional light accumulations continue Mon and into the middle of next week.

Increasing cloud cover on Friday ahead of a Pacific storm system that now looks to just barely brush the Alberta Rockies this weekend. Trace accumulations up to 5 cm are slightly possible each day at Sunshine, Louise, and Castle. Another weak pulse of moisture next Wednesday returns chances of light accumulations. Colder on Mon and Tues, SW flow on Weds brings the snow, along with warmer temps.

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.

Thanks for reading this summer! For the rest of this week, a cold front moving across the Central Rockies will bring showers & t-storms to WY, CO, & NM Wed-Thu while the West Coast states will see a late-season heat wave. Next week, isolated to scattered showers & t-storms develop across the West with continued mild temps. Heading into mid-month, the PNW will trend wetter and cooler.