The main story this week will be the Pacific storm track from Alaska to British Columbia with several rounds of storms and atmospheric rivers. These ARs will be on the warmer side to start the week with high snow levels. Colder air is expected later in the week, which will lower snow levels with more significant snow accumulations. Quieter weather will affect other areas of the US this week. A few lingering snow showers on Monday will affect the Rockies, and a weak storm will bring light snow to Colorado on Thursday, October 23. 

View → Total Snow Forecast Map

Check out our snow forecast and snow level range chart for Whistler. The forecast has trended warmer, with most models projecting 2-30 inches of snow (OS Blend = 17 inches) at mid-mountain. Notice the variability of snow levels with rain at the base, but snow around mid-mountain through the summit!

Forecast for Mon (Oct 20) to Mon Night:

Lingering moisture with light and scattered snow showers will clear the Rockies on Monday morning. As this weak storm clears, the next storm and atmospheric river (AR) over the active Pacific storm track will impact British Columbia and Alberta. The heaviest amount of moisture will stay to the north, with lighter totals near the US-Canada border.

Forecast for Tue (Oct 21) to Tue Night:

The western Canadian storm will weaken on Tuesday with a few additional areas of light snow that will have minimal impacts. The rest of the weather across Canada and the US will be quiet as we await a more significant storm to impact British Columbia on Wednesday.

Forecast for Wed (Oct 22) to Wed Night:

The British Columbia storm will strengthen off the coast and bring more significant coastal snow with a warmer AR. This warmer AR will raise snow levels above 5,000 feet and bring wetter snow to BC and the higher elevations. The good news is that colder air is expected later in the week!

Forecast for Thu (Oct 23) to Thu Night:

The active storm track across the Pacific will continue on Thursday. The storm and AR will start warm again for the initial blast of precipitation, but this time the stronger storm will move colder air into British Columbia throughout Thursday and lower snow levels, bringing more favorable snow conditions.

A weak storm is expected to push up from the southwest and bring an area of snow to Colorado and nearby areas. There is model uncertainty with the strengthening and amount of moisture with this storm, and it will be something to watch this week.

Forecast for Fri (Oct 24) to Fri Night:

The Colorado storm will weaken and dissipate, with another significant storm expected to impact British Columbia. This storm is expected to move further south and will keep colder air through BC. By the end of Friday, snow totals for BC will be around 1-3 feet for elevations above 5,000 feet. A significant elevation dependence of snow will be the story across coastal BC.

Forecast for Sat (Oct 25) to Sat Night:

The Pacific storm track will shift further south into the Pacific Northwest of the US this weekend. There is the potential for a significant storm across the region with colder air that would keep snow levels on the lower side for late October. There is still significant model uncertainty about the storm track and temperatures, which will influence snow accumulations.

Outlook for Sun (Oct 26) to Sun (Nov 2):

The storm that will affect the Pacific Northwest this weekend, on Saturday, October 25, and Sunday, October 26 will move into the Rockies through the last week of October. There is significant model uncertainty about the strength and location of precipitation with this storm, but several areas of snow are likely from Colorado to Utah and through the northern Rockies.

After this storm, the extended forecast has more uncertainty. More storms will continue across the active Pacific storm track, but it is uncertain whether these will enter the PNW or stay north in British Columbia. Temperatures are forecasted to stay around average, and precipitation chances will stay above normal.

Below is a look at the Climate Prediction Center’s (CPC) probability outlook of temperatures (top) and precipitation (bottom) from Monday, October 27 through Sunday, November 2. 

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Wednesday (Oct 22).

Zach Butler