Two storms will move across the West during the next 5 days with light to moderate refreshes for most areas, along with a trend toward colder temperatures this weekend following a mild New Year's with rain and high snow levels for some areas (most notably the Sierra).

The second storm over the weekend looks somewhat stronger and colder, with more favorable conditions expected.

Snow totals over the next 5 days will generally range from 10-20 inches across the Sierra and 3-12 inches across the Northwest and the Rockies, with isolated higher amounts possible. 

Forecast for Wednesday (Dec 31):

The first storm in the West will make landfall in California later in the day, but warm temperatures will lead to high snow levels and rain for most ski resorts in the Sierra. To the north, a separate storm will bring heavy snow to Northern BC.

In the East, a storm will move from the Great Lakes into the Mid-Atlantic with heavy lake effect snow developing across the Eastern Great Lakes, as well as the Alleghenies in SW Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia. Light snow will also fall across Northern New England, favoring Vermont.

Forecast for Thursday (Jan 1):

A storm will continue to progress eastward across the West, bringing generally light snow to the Rockies. Across the Sierra, snow levels will remain high with rain or a mix for most ski resorts, while heavy snow accumulations will be confined to the higher peaks.

In the East, lake effect snow showers will continue on the backside of Wednesday's storm, favoring areas from Western New York to West Virginia.

Forecast for Friday (Jan 2):

The first storm will begin to wind down across the West with light snow continuing across the Rockies, while some lower mountain areas in the Rockies will also see rain. Snow (and some low elevation rain) will also spread northward into the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia.

A second storm will make landfall in California on Friday night, and temperatures will begin to trend colder with lowering snow levels across the Sierra.

In the East, lake effect snow showers will continue but will become more localized, favoring parts of Western New York, Pennsylvania, and Ontario.

Forecast for Saturday (Jan 3):

A second somewhat stronger storm will impact the West with snow becoming more widespread across the Sierra and the Northwest.

Snow levels will continue to trend lower with moderate to heavy snow developing across Tahoe and Mammoth, while the Northwest will also see moderate snowfall. Light snowfall will also reach the Rockies later on Saturday. 

In the East, snow shower coverage will decrease and will largely be confined to a few lake effect hot spots in Western New York and Ontario. 

Forecast for Sunday (Jan 4):

A storm will continue over the West with snow beginning to taper off over the Sierra and Northwest, while the Central Rockies will see an uptick in snowfall, though generally light to moderate amounts are expected. Temperatures will also trend colder across the Rockies.

A weaker storm is also projected to move across the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, though confidence in the overall setup is low for now.

Outlook for Mon (Jan 5) to Fri (Jan 9):

Next week, a split flow storm track is expected across the West, with generally weaker storms favored across the Northwest and from California into the Southern/Central Rockies. 

Temperatures will be more seasonal in the West than we've seen lately, ranging from slightly below average along the West Coast to slightly above average across the Rockies.

In the East, a trend toward warmer temperatures is expected, though the Northeast will still be in play for semi-frequent disturbances that could bring more snow.

Thanks so much for reading, and Happy New Year!

Next update on Friday (January 2).

Alan Smith

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