An active pattern is setting up across the West for the holiday season with heavy snow for the Northwest in particular. Utah & Colorado will see frequent shots of light to moderate snow, while California and Oregon resorts will see both rain and snow with warmer air creeping in. The East will see a quiet pattern with a gradual warming trend, then colder air will arrive after the New Year.

Happy Christmas Eve! Santa is leaving the Sierra ahead of schedule. 5-10 inches fell over the Sierra Range on Tuesday. A potent storm is headed for the BC coast and will slam the PNW with several feet of snow, strong winds, and rising snow levels on Wednesday/Thursday. There are many red flags. The Rockies grab heavier snow from Friday to Sunday!

It is a snowy start on Tuesday with snow levels back to 4,500 feet and lowering to 3,000 feet with scattered snow showers. The next storm and atmospheric river (AR) moves in Wednesday afternoon with 1-3 feet of snow through Friday morning above 4,000 feet. The active storm track continues Friday and this weekend with substantial model uncertainty regarding snow levels due to a potential warm AR.

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.