Weekly North America Forecast – Powder Tap On Full-Blast as Storms Continue Across the West
Written Wednesday, 18th February (Pacific Standard Time)
The long, quiet dry spell is now a distant memory, having been replaced by perhaps the biggest storm cycle of the season for many parts of Western North America. The powder tap has been on full-blast since Sunday, with resorts in the Sierras topping the charts with around 0.7-2+m accumulating by Wednesday, while the bulk of resorts throughout the Rockies – from BC and Alberta to Arizona and New Mexico – scored between 20-60cm of high-quality powder.
The storm cycle will eventually wind down on Friday, but will pick back up on Sunday for several more days of widespread snowfall that will see February go out with a KA-POW!
Thursday 19th & Friday 20th February
The storm cycle that began earlier this week gradually winds down over the next two days. On Thursday, one storm exits the central-southern Rockies while another makes landfall in the Sierras with heavy snowfall. The storm then moves into the central-southern Rockies from late Thursday with moderate snowfall, before exiting later on Friday, leaving the West dry under a block of high pressure.
Cold temperatures will produce high-quality powder and low snow levels. The Sierras will be favoured with 30-60cm on the cards, followed by Utah, Colorado and Arizona and northern New Mexico, where up to 25-50cm could fall in some areas.
Smaller totals are expected in areas wedged between the northern fringes of these storms and a dry Arctic airmass sitting over much of Canada and the northern Rockies. Here, the Cascades, interior BC, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming will pick up a small top-up of around 5-15cm in some areas, while the biting cold in the north gradually eases.
Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd February
Much of the West will remain dry through Saturday. However, light snow showers will come and go in the Canadian Coast Mountains and Cascades as a large low-pressure system looms just offshore.
The storm begins pressing more firmly into the Pacific Coastal Range from Saturday night, with heavy snowfall in Northern California, from Tahoe to Mount Shasta, through Sunday. However, it’ll be borne of a strong, warm and humid southerly flow, bringing denser snow, and snow levels close to base elevations. Lighter snowfalls will also clip the Cascades and Canadian Coast Mountains on Sunday, eventually reaching interior BC late in the day.
Monday 23rd to Wednesday 25th February
The storm in the northwest will expand north and south as it continues pressing inland, reaching its zenith during Monday, before weakening and becoming fragmented on Tuesday. The Pacific Coastal Range and northern Rockies will be favoured with the deepest totals over these two-days
Then on Wednesday, a compact storm will hit the Sierras, bringing more heavy snowfall. The storm will also extend into Utah and Colorado, with light to moderate snowfall. At the same time, a nice n’ cold storm will descend from the northwest to bring more high-quality powder to Canadian resorts.
Over this three-day period, much of the West will receive a solid top-up, although the Sierras will be favoured once again with a heavy dump, while Arizona and New Mexico could miss out entirely. Canada and the northern US will be more favoured for snow quality due to colder temperatures.
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
