The Northwest will remain favored over the next 5 days with heavy snow and low snow levels, which will help to build up a base following a slow start to the season. Western Canada will also continue to score the goods, especially over the Interior, where a much deeper base is already in place.

Snow totals over the next 5-6 days will generally range from 2-5 feet over the Cascades and BC Coast Range, 1-2 feet across the Canadian Interior and Northern U.S. Rockies, and 6-12 inches over Northern Utah.

Forecast for Friday (Dec 19):

A strong storm will bring heavy snow to the Northwest and Northern Rockies, with the deepest snow totals expected from the Cascades into Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.

In the East, a storm moving through will bring rain initially, but a changeover to snow showers is expected across the Appalachians and New England in the wake of the front. Lake effect snow showers will also develop.

Forecast for Saturday (Dec 20):

In the West, light to moderate snow will fall over the Central Rockies as a storm departs. Then another storm will make landfall over the Northwest with heavy snow developing across Washington and British Columbia.

In the East, a storm will move across the Northern Great Lakes with light to moderate snow expected, before eventually reaching New England on Saturday night. 

Forecast for Sunday (Dec 21):

Two storms will impact the West, with a northern storm bringing more snow to the Northwest and Western Canada, while a southern storm will bring heavy precipitation from Tahoe to Southern Idaho and Western Wyoming, while Northern Utah will get brushed.

Temperatures will be warm in Tahoe, and snow levels (the rain/snow line) will be close to ski resort summits as a result. 

A storm will also move across the Northeast with snow favoring New York, New England, and Quebec.

Forecast for Monday (Dec 22):

A storm involving subtropical moisture and a southwest flow will continue to impact Tahoe to the Tetons in Western Wyoming. Tahoe will continue to see high snow levels and rain issues, and even the Tetons (Jackson Hole) and Southern Idaho (Sun Valley) could see snow levels approaching mid-mountain. 

In the Northwest, storms will continue to bring heavy snow to the Cascades and BC Coast Range with moderate snow for the Northern U.S. Rockies and Canadian Interior. Temperatures and snow levels will be much more favorable in this region.

Forecast for Tuesday (Dec 23):

The West will be in between storms with generally light to moderate snow showers expected across the Northwest and Northern Rockies, though heavier snow is possible over Southwest British Columbia.

Another storm will move across the Northeast with snow favoring New York, New England, and Quebec. 

Outlook for Wed (Dec 24) to Sun (Dec 28):

A stronger and colder storm is possible around Christmas for Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Range, while impacts could also extend into Utah, Southern Idaho, and Wyoming. Colorado also has a better chance of seeing snow, though overall, temperatures look to remain unseasonably warm across the Central Rockies.

The Northwest will remain in a favorable pattern with frequent storms and seasonal temperatures, which at the end of December means continued low snow levels on average.

In the Northeast, we are seeing mixed signals with New England and Quebec right on the cusp between a colder airmass to the north and a warmer airmass to the south. Both snow and rain are a possibility in this pattern, while much warmer temperature anomalies are expected over the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Monday (December 22).

Alan Smith 

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