Weekly North America Forecast – Zero to Hero for Sierras as Christmas Storm Continues, Moderate Totals Elsewhere
Written Thursday afternoon, 25th December (Pacific Standard Time)
Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th December
A storm kicked off in the Sierra Nevada Range on Christmas Eve (yesterday) with off-the-charts snowfall rates. Mammoth reported a storm tally of 130 cm by Christmas morning, and similar totals can be found at the Tahoe resorts, which also picked up more snow in the days preceding. The storm will start to turn cold on Friday as snowfall rates ease, eventually clearing completely overnight Friday, leaving another 40-75+ cm for most resorts.
The storm will also bring moderate snow totals to most other areas of Western North America as it expands north and tracks eastwards. The last of the snowfall will eventually dry up in Colorado and northern New Mexico as cold, dry air and high pressure fill the void left by the storm’s exit to the east.
The next storm will roll down northern BC/Alberta over the weekend, bringing milder southwesterly winds and lifting snow levels.
Monday 29th December to Thursday 1st January
Monday through Wednesday, the lead up to the New Year, storm activity will be restricted to the north, where the bulk of precipitation will fall along the Alaskan Coastline and northern BC. Here, mild, moisture-laden south-to-southwest winds will bring moderate falls and elevated snow levels, with lighter falls reaching further south into the northern Cascades, Idaho and Montana from late Tuesday as the storm starts to turn colder and expand southwards. The cold air pushes further south in the west, where it should reach the Tahoe resorts by late New Year’s Day.
A weak storm is also picked to brush the far south on New Year’s Day, giving resorts in Arizona and New Mexico a much-needed dusting.
That’s all from me today, folks. Have a great week, and I’ll see you back here next Thursday for another weekly rundown of North America’s highlights and snowlights.
Grasshopper
