In the West, the big story is a multi-day storm that will bring much-needed heavy snowfall to the Sierra and Tahoe from Wednesday to Friday, with total snowfall ranging from 2-5 feet at most areas.

Elsewhere across the West, impacts from this cycle will be mixed. Unseasonably warm temperatures across the Interior West will lead to high snow levels and rain issues for many areas, even across the Rockies, before colder air arrives on Friday and Saturday.

Further north, colder air and lower snow levels will result in better conditions from the Washington Cascades into British Columbia and Alberta.

An active pattern is also taking hold across the Northeast with several storms moving through over the next 5 days. New York, New England, and Quebec will be favored for the highest snowfall totals, while the Northern Mid-Atlantic (circled in white) could be dealing with a changeover to sleet/freezing rain with significant icing possible on Friday. 

Forecast for Wednesday (Dec 24):

The storm will begin over the Sierra Nevada Range and Tahoe with heavy snow expected. Snow levels are projected to be around 6,000-6,500 feet during the early part of this storm cycle.

Moisture will also reach the Central U.S. Rockies, but anomalous warmth will lead to unusually high snow levels with rain falling up to the upper elevations at ski resorts in Utah, Wyoming, and Southern Idaho. 

A storm will also track from south to north into the Northwest with moderate to heavy snow, favoring Washington, British Columbia, and Alberta. 

In the East, snow will linger across New York and New England early in the day, in the wake of a storm from Tuesday.

Forecast for Thursday (Dec 25):

Heavy snow will continue to fall across the Sierra Nevada Range and Tahoe, and snow levels will also drop below lake level as colder air arrives.

Across the Interior West, snow levels will remain much higher than usual but will gradually start to lower with heavy snow falling across the higher elevations of the Tetons and Sawtooths, with lighter amounts for Utah and Colorado.

To the north, light snow showers can be expected across the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada in between storms.

In the East, a weak disturbance will move across Quebec and New England with light to moderate snow showers expected.

Forecast for Friday (Dec 26):

Tahoe will see its third and final day of heavy snow as a storm continues to impact California and the West.

A cold front will also sweep across the entire West during this period, leading to lower snow levels and better snow quality, along with pockets of moderate to heavy snow from the Northwest to the Rockies. However, Colorado is still expecting only light to moderate amounts.

In the East, a strong storm will arrive, producing a wintry mess of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain from Michigan to Pennsylvania and Maryland, while New York and Southern New England are projected to see less moisture but colder temperatures and more snow as opposed to ice.

Still, the precipitation type details are subject to minor fluctuations in the storm track.

Forecast for Saturday (Dec 27):

Snow will come to an end across Tahoe, while snow showers will continue on the colder backside of the storm early in the day across the Northwest and the Rockies. 

Snow showers and mixed precipitation will also linger across the Northeast.

Forecast for Sunday (Dec 28):

Conditions will start to dry out across most of the West as the storm track shifts northward, with the next storm favoring Central to Northern BC.

In the East, another storm will arrive with snow possible across New York, New England, and Quebec but there are indications that rain, sleet, and/or freezing rain could mix in even across New England. Of course this is subject to change 5 days out.

Outlook for Mon (Dec 29) to Fri (Jan 2):

A ridge of high pressure is now expected to build over the Western U.S. and extend into Southwest Canada, leading to a drying trend for most areas of the West along with a return to well-above-normal temperatures.

On the north side of the ridge, storms will favor Northern BC instead. Also, there are some hints of cut-off lows setting up over the Southwest, which could potentially generate some snowfall at southern ski resorts. 

In the East, the pattern is trending colder for this period, while more storms could bring periods of snow to New England and perhaps parts of the Mid-Atlantic.  

Thanks so much for reading, and Happy Holidays!

Next update on Friday (December 26).

Alan Smith 

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