December 2024 Review

December started out very dry across most of the West, but the pattern turned more active mid to late month with frequent storms for the Pacific Northwest. 

Precipitation was above normal for the Northwest and near normal around Tahoe, while the Southwest was much drier than normal. The Central Rockies started out very dry but the pattern picked up toward the end of the month with more storms and heavier snowfall.

As of early January, snowpack remains near to above average across the Northwest and into the Sierra Nevada Range, with Oregon enjoying the deepest snowpack relative to average.

Snowpack is right around average across the Central Rockies, while the Southwest is well below average following a December that featured little snowfall. 

Temperatures were well above normal throughout the West in December as we really didn't have any significant cold outbreaks. There were certainly some good patterns that featured low-density powder, but there were also storms that featured wetter high-density snow and high snow levels. 

January 2025 Outlook:

The first few days of January have been very active across the Northwest and the Northern and Central Rockies with frequent storms.

After January 6th, a break in the pattern is expected through mid-month with high pressure over the West, leading to drier conditions with limited snowfall potential. However, there are signs that the pattern could turn more active again during the second half of January.

For the month as a whole, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is projecting above-normal precipitation across the Northwest and Northern Rockies, with a slight signal toward above-normal precipitation extending into Northern Utah and Northern Colorado.

Tahoe has equal chances for above or below-normal precipitation, while the Southwest is projected to remain drier than normal.

NOAA is also projecting warmer-than-normal winter temperatures to persist in January, but that doesn't mean we won't see an occasional cold snap as this is the coldest month of the year climatologically speaking.

The strongest signal for above normal warmth is over California and the Southwest, while areas east of the Divide in Montana and Wyoming could see temperatures closer to normal.

Thanks so much for reading! I will post the next monthly update in early February.

Alan Smith