The Grasshopper – The Latest Snow Forecast

North American Forecast

Wednesday 12 December (Pacific Time)

Howdy partners, this is your faithful Grasshopper bringing you the first forecast of the 2018/2019 northern hemisphere snow season. Now that the season is ramping up, I will be bringing you these forecasts on a weekly basis, covering all meteorological highlights and lowlights that I can feel out with my super sensitive antennae.

Ten day snow accumulations. Source:: windy.com

Looking at the overall picture for the next ten days, storms rolling in from the Pacific should dump around 2m-2.5m or more onto the coast mountains of Canada, wowzers! The Cascades will follow close behind with snowfalls in the 1m-1.5m range with 2m on the most exposed peaks in the north. Some of that good sauce will spill over onto the Rockies, with the Canadian portion looking set to receive 50cm-1m. Snowfalls will gradually decrease as we head south along the Rockies, but Idaho, Montana and Wyoming can still expect a range of 30cm-60cm to fall, while only 10cm-15cm is expected further south as this area will be dominated by higher pressure. Snowfalls also decrease as we head south along the Pacific with 15-30cm expected for most of the Sierras.

Thursday:

A S-SW flow will pump snow onto the Coast Mountains and the northern Cascades, with decent snowfalls also making onto the Canadian Rockies. Meanwhile, a big high lying smack bang over the American west will nudge off any remaining snow showers over the southern half of the American Rockies during the morning, leaving mostly fine weather.

Friday:

Truckloads of snow will fall on the Coast Mountains as a low crosses the Canadian coast, while snow showers will ease for a time over the Canadian Rockies. A front extending south will also dust up the Cascades and northern Sierras from afternoon. The big high will continue to dominate the American Rockies, but snow showers will move on in over Idaho and Montana late in the day.

Saturday:

Any snowfalls will peter out during the morning as a high and ridge dominate.

Sunday:

The next weather system rolls in from the Pacific with a northerly airstream dumping snow on the Coast Mountains, but it’ll be a bit warm and wet as it hits the Cascades and northern Sierras later in the day. Snowflurries will also spill over to the Canadian Rockies from afternoon. High pressure still dominates the American Rockies.

Monday:

Snow showers spread over the American Rockies, while it eases elsewhere. However, late in the day another front comes off the Pacific and dumps snow in the usual places of the Coast Mountains, Cascades and northern Sierras.

Tuesday:

The westerly airstream will push further inland and kick off good snowfalls for the Rockies of Canada, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Meanwhile, it’ll keep dumping on the Coast Mountains and Cascades, while it peters out over the northern Sierras.

Wednesday:

Snow will continue to come down over the Coast Mountains (does it ever stop?), while it clears from the southern Cascades. There’ll be smatterings of snowfalls over the Rockies of Canada, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. High pressure further south will keep the southern states fine and frosty.

Next Thursday:

A cold front will work its way SE, followed by a cold N-NW flow. This will provide some good light fluffy snowfalls for the Rockies of Canada, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, while the Coast Mountains and Cascades will get more than their fair share. High pressure continues to ward off any snow for the southern states.

Outlook for next Friday and next weekend:

The high over the American Rockies may briefly break down, allowing some cold air to spill over the southern half of the American Rockies. Snowfall amounts look small, but at least it’ll keep the dream alive. Another front is likely to roll in from the west with the usual candidates copping it i.e. the Coast Mountains, Cascades, maybe northern Sierras, as well as some spilling over to the northern half of the Rockies.

Friday 28 September

Synoptic Outlook:

Well guys and gals, the end is nigh. After this weekend, some resorts will close their doors on what has been an epic season. Other resorts will carry on the good fight until next weekend, the 7^thof October. Today is my last forecast of the season… sob… then I will be heading into the backcountry to eke out some last turns before hanging up my six ski boots for good… or at least until the northern hemisphere starts dumping snow.

Warm northwesterlies are currently blowing over the Aussie Alps ahead of a cold front, which will slowly inch its way over us tonight, bringing snow showers and cold southerly winds. Snow accumulations will only be in the order of 2-5cm, which isn’t much but will provide nice surface conditions for one last hoorah of the season. The sun will come out later on Saturday as high pressure builds and will see us through Sunday and Monday.

Image Of The Day:

Not too bad a day up the hill today. A wee bit of snow will fall tonight into early Saturday morning, making surface conditions mint for the lucky last weekend at some resorts. Source:: Metservice (vandilised by the Grasshopper)

Friday 28 September:

A fine start, but cloud will build will build from afternoon as strong to gale NW winds ease. Snow showers will come in from the south tonight and overnight.

Saturday 29 September:

Snow showers will clear by midday, then the sun will come out to play. Freezing southerly winds gradually easing.

Sunday 30 September:

Sun and fun for your Sunday, with a chilly start and light winds.

Monday 1 October:

Slip slop slap and shred. Temps will swelter as the sun blazes with hardly a breath of wind.

Extended Outlook:

Northerly winds will kick in on Tuesday, bringing in a little cloud, then it’ll swing to the NW and strengthen on Wednesday with a spot of wet stuff falling on us. The wet stuff will really come down on Thursday as a front hits with temps too warm for snow. However, we might get a wee dusting early next Friday as colder air reaches us. We should have settled weather next weekend as a ridge digs in to the south.

That’s all from the Grasshopper for this season. I’ll see you all again once the northern hemisphere kicks off. If you have a question or feedback for me, hit me up on facebook.

Friday 28 September

Synoptic Outlook:

Well guys and gals, the end is nigh. Within a couple of weeks resorts will close their doors on what has been an epic season. Today’s forecast will be my last for the season… sob… but as you will see, a tonne of snow is yet to fall on Aotearoa, which will see the season go out with a bang! After that, I will head into the backcountry to eke out some last turns before hanging up my six ski boots for good… well, at least until the northern hemisphere starts dumping snow.

It’s a chilly start to a mostly fine day thanks to the ridge that’s lounging over us. However, the atmosphere is a little unstable and will kick up some snow showers over Ruapehu this afternoon. The ridge will move off to the north on Saturday, clearing the way for an active cold front to slowly work its way up the South Island. This front will dump a serious amount of powder onto the Southern Lakes during Saturday, then Canterbury during Sunday as it spins up into a low. Accumulations will be in the realm of 20-30cm or more! The low will then drift up the west coast on Monday, while snow falls on Ruapehu and a weak ridge affects the South Island.

Image Of The Day:

A nice day to be on the slopes today, thanks to the sunny ridge. However, watch out for thunderstorms and snow showers on Ruapehu this afternoon. Epic amounts of snow will fall over the next week or so and will see the season go out with a bang! Source:: Metservice (vandilised by the Grasshopper)

Friday 28 September:

Mostly sunny for the South Island with a NW breeze picking up. A fine start on Ruapehu with a westerly breeze, but there’ll be a few afternoon snow showers with possible thunderstorms.

Saturday 29 September:

It’ll start snowing over the Southern Lakes from late morning and there’ll be heavy falls later in the day. High cloud will build in Canterbury, and we might see a snow flurry or two. NW winds will rise to gale over the South Island. For Ruapehu, there’ll be some afternoon cloud and a snow flurry or two as well as a westerly breeze.

Sunday 30 September:

Snow falling across the South Island, but it’ll gradually clear later in the day. N-NW winds will be blowing a gale in Canterbury. It’ll be rather cloud on Ruapehu with the odd snow shower from afternoon as NW winds strengthen.

Monday 1 October:

Mostly fine for the South Island with light winds. Snow on Ruapehu will ease around midday as gale NW winds ease, then it’ll return at night.

Extended Outlook:

The low will be weak as it crosses the North Island during Tuesday, but we’ll still have a hefty dump of fresh powder on Ruapehu in the order of 15-20cm. Also on Tuesday, yet another cold front will brush the South Island, giving us a nice wee dusting of freshies. NW winds will kick in on Wednesday and clear any muck away so we can shred all this new pow pow. Another frontal system should trundle up the country from late Thursday or next Friday, with snow possibly falling through next weekend, yikes!

That’s all from the Grasshopper. Wanna keep your finger on the pulse of all things snow? Join my weekly email list by filling in the box below. If you have a question or feedback for me, hit me up on facebook.

Japan Forecast

Thursday 13 December (Japan time)

Konnichiwa my fellow froth merchants, this is your faithful Grasshopper bringing you the first forecast of the 2018/2019 northern hemisphere snow season. Now that the season is starting to ramp up, I will be bringing you these forecasts on a weekly basis, covering all meteorological highlights and lowlights that I can feel out with my super sensitive antennae.

Ten day snow accumulations. Source:: windy.com

Looking at the overall picture for the next ten days, the Hida and Echigo Mountains of southern Honshu, where major resorts like Hakuba reside, should take the cake with 1m-1.3m of snow falling on more exposed areas and half as much lower down. Elsewhere on Honshu we can expect up to 50cm-75cm, while 30cm-50cm should fall on Hokkaido.

Thursday:

Snow flurries continue over the northern half of Honshu and spread to Niseko this afternoon, while other areas will see plenty of sunshine.

Friday:

A low passes over Japan in the early hours, getting the Japow machine fired up. Freezing NW winds will dump snow to base levels through the day. The heaviest falls will be on Honshu during the morning.

Saturday:

Snow showers will peter out late in the day as the freezing NW winds ease and a high builds over Honshu.

Sunday:

The high drifts away to the east and a warmer S-SW flow develops over Japan. Snowfalls will increase on Hokkaido as a front moves onto the area, but it will turn to rain at low levels as temps rise.

Monday:

The front crosses Japan during the morning with snowfalls on upper slopes, but it’ll rain lower down. Rain/snow showers will continue for the remainder of the day.

Tuesday & Wednesday:

Freezing NW winds will pump light fluffy Japow onto all ski resorts during these two days. Marvelous!

Next Thursday:

Snowflurries should clear Honshu as a ridge builds, but they’re likely to linger on Hokkaido.

Outlook for next Friday and next weekend:

Models are picking a low will pop up in the Yellow or East China Seas, then cross Japan next Friday. We’re likely to see a period of warmer S-SW winds with potentially heavy rain. However, as the low scoots off to the northeast, it should drag in colder NW winds and we should see some good snowfalls over next weekend. Keep in mind this is a long way off in the forecasting world, so check in next Thursday as I will shed more light on this system. Until then, happy shredding!

North American Forecast

Wednesday 12 December (Pacific Time)

Howdy partners, this is your faithful Grasshopper bringing you the first forecast of the 2018/2019 northern hemisphere snow season. Now that the season is ramping up, I will be bringing you these forecasts on a weekly basis, covering all meteorological highlights and lowlights that I can feel out with my super sensitive antennae.

Ten day snow accumulations. Source:: windy.com

Looking at the overall picture for the next ten days, storms rolling in from the Pacific should dump around 2m-2.5m or more onto the coast mountains of Canada, wowzers! The Cascades will follow close behind with snowfalls in the 1m-1.5m range with 2m on the most exposed peaks in the north. Some of that good sauce will spill over onto the Rockies, with the Canadian portion looking set to receive 50cm-1m. Snowfalls will gradually decrease as we head south along the Rockies, but Idaho, Montana and Wyoming can still expect a range of 30cm-60cm to fall, while only 10cm-15cm is expected further south as this area will be dominated by higher pressure. Snowfalls also decrease as we head south along the Pacific with 15-30cm expected for most of the Sierras.

Thursday:

A S-SW flow will pump snow onto the Coast Mountains and the northern Cascades, with decent snowfalls also making onto the Canadian Rockies. Meanwhile, a big high lying smack bang over the American west will nudge off any remaining snow showers over the southern half of the American Rockies during the morning, leaving mostly fine weather.

Friday:

Truckloads of snow will fall on the Coast Mountains as a low crosses the Canadian coast, while snow showers will ease for a time over the Canadian Rockies. A front extending south will also dust up the Cascades and northern Sierras from afternoon. The big high will continue to dominate the American Rockies, but snow showers will move on in over Idaho and Montana late in the day.

Saturday:

Any snowfalls will peter out during the morning as a high and ridge dominate.

Sunday:

The next weather system rolls in from the Pacific with a northerly airstream dumping snow on the Coast Mountains, but it’ll be a bit warm and wet as it hits the Cascades and northern Sierras later in the day. Snowflurries will also spill over to the Canadian Rockies from afternoon. High pressure still dominates the American Rockies.

Monday:

Snow showers spread over the American Rockies, while it eases elsewhere. However, late in the day another front comes off the Pacific and dumps snow in the usual places of the Coast Mountains, Cascades and northern Sierras.

Tuesday:

The westerly airstream will push further inland and kick off good snowfalls for the Rockies of Canada, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Meanwhile, it’ll keep dumping on the Coast Mountains and Cascades, while it peters out over the northern Sierras.

Wednesday:

Snow will continue to come down over the Coast Mountains (does it ever stop?), while it clears from the southern Cascades. There’ll be smatterings of snowfalls over the Rockies of Canada, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. High pressure further south will keep the southern states fine and frosty.

Next Thursday:

A cold front will work its way SE, followed by a cold N-NW flow. This will provide some good light fluffy snowfalls for the Rockies of Canada, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, while the Coast Mountains and Cascades will get more than their fair share. High pressure continues to ward off any snow for the southern states.

Outlook for next Friday and next weekend:

The high over the American Rockies may briefly break down, allowing some cold air to spill over the southern half of the American Rockies. Snowfall amounts look small, but at least it’ll keep the dream alive. Another front is likely to roll in from the west with the usual candidates copping it i.e. the Coast Mountains, Cascades, maybe northern Sierras, as well as some spilling over to the northern half of the Rockies.

North American Forecast

Wednesday 12 December (Pacific Time)

Howdy partners, this is your faithful Grasshopper bringing you the first forecast of the 2018/2019 northern hemisphere snow season. Now that the season is ramping up, I will be bringing you these forecasts on a weekly basis, covering all meteorological highlights and lowlights that I can feel out with my super sensitive antennae.

Ten day snow accumulations. Source:: windy.com

Looking at the overall picture for the next ten days, storms rolling in from the Pacific should dump around 2m-2.5m or more onto the coast mountains of Canada, wowzers! The Cascades will follow close behind with snowfalls in the 1m-1.5m range with 2m on the most exposed peaks in the north. Some of that good sauce will spill over onto the Rockies, with the Canadian portion looking set to receive 50cm-1m. Snowfalls will gradually decrease as we head south along the Rockies, but Idaho, Montana and Wyoming can still expect a range of 30cm-60cm to fall, while only 10cm-15cm is expected further south as this area will be dominated by higher pressure. Snowfalls also decrease as we head south along the Pacific with 15-30cm expected for most of the Sierras.

Thursday:

A S-SW flow will pump snow onto the Coast Mountains and the northern Cascades, with decent snowfalls also making onto the Canadian Rockies. Meanwhile, a big high lying smack bang over the American west will nudge off any remaining snow showers over the southern half of the American Rockies during the morning, leaving mostly fine weather.

Friday:

Truckloads of snow will fall on the Coast Mountains as a low crosses the Canadian coast, while snow showers will ease for a time over the Canadian Rockies. A front extending south will also dust up the Cascades and northern Sierras from afternoon. The big high will continue to dominate the American Rockies, but snow showers will move on in over Idaho and Montana late in the day.

Saturday:

Any snowfalls will peter out during the morning as a high and ridge dominate.

Sunday:

The next weather system rolls in from the Pacific with a northerly airstream dumping snow on the Coast Mountains, but it’ll be a bit warm and wet as it hits the Cascades and northern Sierras later in the day. Snowflurries will also spill over to the Canadian Rockies from afternoon. High pressure still dominates the American Rockies.

Monday:

Snow showers spread over the American Rockies, while it eases elsewhere. However, late in the day another front comes off the Pacific and dumps snow in the usual places of the Coast Mountains, Cascades and northern Sierras.

Tuesday:

The westerly airstream will push further inland and kick off good snowfalls for the Rockies of Canada, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Meanwhile, it’ll keep dumping on the Coast Mountains and Cascades, while it peters out over the northern Sierras.

Wednesday:

Snow will continue to come down over the Coast Mountains (does it ever stop?), while it clears from the southern Cascades. There’ll be smatterings of snowfalls over the Rockies of Canada, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. High pressure further south will keep the southern states fine and frosty.

Next Thursday:

A cold front will work its way SE, followed by a cold N-NW flow. This will provide some good light fluffy snowfalls for the Rockies of Canada, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, while the Coast Mountains and Cascades will get more than their fair share. High pressure continues to ward off any snow for the southern states.

Outlook for next Friday and next weekend:

The high over the American Rockies may briefly break down, allowing some cold air to spill over the southern half of the American Rockies. Snowfall amounts look small, but at least it’ll keep the dream alive. Another front is likely to roll in from the west with the usual candidates copping it i.e. the Coast Mountains, Cascades, maybe northern Sierras, as well as some spilling over to the northern half of the Rockies.