October was a mixed bag across the Western U.S. but many areas saw their first big snow events of the season, especially the Central Rockies during the final week of the month. Heading into November, the storm track is expected to favor the Northwest, with uncertain potential across the Rockies in terms of storm frequency and snowfall/precipitation compared to average. 

October 2023 Review:

October featured a little bit of everything across the West, with prolonged periods of warm and dry weather interspersed with cooler, wetter, and in some cases, snowier periods. The most notable weather pattern occurred during the final week of the month when storms brought heavy snow and cold temperatures to the Central Rockies.

During the early to middle part of the month, we were enjoying fall colors and the last of our summer outdoor activities. By the end of the month, many of us were thinking about making our first turns of the season.

Precipitation was generally above average from Southern Idaho to Wyoming to Central Montana, and southward into West/Central Colorado. The late-month storm cycle had a lot to do with this, while a storm early in the month also contributed to the wet anomaly in Wyoming and Montana.

Precipitation was below average across the Southwest and near average from the Wasatch to the Sierra. Across the Pacific Northwest, precipitation ranged from slightly above to slightly below average depending on location.

It's a bit early in the season to evaluate snowpack compared to average as the snow season is just getting underway. However, we can take a look at our Estimated Snow Depth map to get an idea of which areas have the most snow on the ground.

As of November 3rd, snowpack is deepest across the Central Rockies, including Colorado, Northwest Wyoming, and Southwest Montana. Snowpack is lighter across the Northern Rockies into the Cascades, with minimal snow further south in the Sierra.

Temperatures were above-average across most of the West during October, except for areas near and east of the Divide in Montana and Wyoming where temperatures were near to below average. 

November 2023 Outlook:

November is expected to be warmer than average overall across the West, but keep in mind that "average" temperatures are quickly declining at this time of year as we transition from autumn into winter. Still, this November looks milder compared to November 2023 which was much colder than average.

The Pacific Northwest is expected to see above-average precipitation during November. With warmer temperatures also expected in this region, it remains to be seen how much snow the Cascades will receive as snow levels could be an issue at times. But hopefully, ski resorts in this region will manage to pick up some good base-building snow as the month progresses.

Elsewhere, there are "equal chances" of above or below-normal precipitation across the Rockies according to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. 

Get Ready for Ski Season with OpenSnow All-Access

Now that we are heading into the winter season, our forecasters are beginning to write Daily Snows for local ski regions on a regular basis, which are available with an All-Access subscription.

In addition, All-Access subscribers can view snow and weather forecasts and receive snow alerts for any ski resort in North America (and most ski areas worldwide). Our Forecast Anywhere feature also allows you to view custom point forecasts, which is a great resource for backcountry skiing and riding.

Also, in case you missed it, we now have iOS widgets available (and Android widgets in development) to help you track storms all winter long.

Alan Smith