A series of disturbances arriving from the northwest will bring more snow to the Mid-Atlantic this week, favoring the western slopes of the Appalachians, and in particular the Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia, Maryland, and SW Pennsylvania.

Most ski resorts in these areas will pick up 4-8 inches of snow over the next 5 days, with isolated higher amounts of 12+ inches possible.

Lighter snow is expected further north into New England, while pockets of moderate to heavy snow can also be expected across the lake effect zones of Western New York. 

Forecast for Wednesday (Feb 4):

A weak storm will track across the Southern Mid-Atlantic on Wednesday morning with light to moderate snow favoring West Virginia and North Carolina. A weak storm will also bring light snow to Northern New England.

In the West, a weak but warm storm will impact Northern and Central BC, but most areas that receive precipitation will get rain as snow levels will be quite high for this time of year. 

Forecast for Thursday (Feb 5):

Light snow will linger across parts of the Southern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast early on Thursday, but overall, a drying trend is expected for the East.

The West will be warm and dry, while a storm will move into the Upper Midwest, bringing light snow to Northern Michigan and Ontario.

Forecast for Friday (Feb 6):

A storm will move into the East from the northwest and will produce a more widespread swath of light snow from Quebec and New England to the Southern Appalachians, with locally heavier snowfall favored in the Alleghenies from West Virginia to SW Pennsylvania.

In the West, a storm will reach Coastal British Columbia on Friday night as a stubborn high pressure ridge finally starts to break down. This will be the start of a pattern change across a larger portion of the West in the days to follow. 

Forecast for Saturday (Feb 7):

In the West, a storm will intensify over Southern BC with moderate to heavy snow developing across the higher elevations. Snow levels will still be relatively high at first, and this will result in precipitation starting as rain at ski resorts in Washington.

In the East, light snow can be expected in New England as a weak system moves through. Another intense but shorter-lived cold snap will also take hold over the East, while an unsettled northwest flow pattern will continue with pockets of light snow showers from the Upper Midwest to Mid-Atlantic.

Forecast for Sunday (Feb 8):

In the West, a storm will slowly progress southward from Canada into the Northwest U.S., and snow levels will also drop as colder air arrives. Heavy snow will favor British Columbia and Washington initially, along with Northern Idaho and Montana. 

In the East, a cold and unsettled northwest flow will linger with pockets of light snow showers from the Great Lakes to the Central Appalachians. 

Outlook for Mon (Feb 9) to Fri (Feb 13):

If you're bummed out by the lack of snow in the West or ready for a break from the bitter cold in the East (or both), then you are in luck!

A pattern change is set to take hold next week as the stubborn high-pressure ridge over the West finally breaks down, opening the door up to storms along with more seasonal temperatures throughout the West.

The weekend storm will deepen southward into early next week with snow favored across the West Central and Southwest U.S. around February 9-11. Later next week (February 12-13), another storm is projected to move into the Northwest with a colder airmass in place, which should lead to lower snow levels.

In the East, a significant warming trend is expected, which will bring relief from the prolonged cold snap over the past couple of weeks.

In terms of precipitation, it could be good news or bad news depending on location, as a storm is projected mid-week, which could potentially bring snow to Quebec and Northern New England. However, ski areas further south and/or at lower elevations may be looking at rain or mixed precipitation. 

Looking further out, the pattern continues to look more favorable across the West heading into mid-February.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Friday (February 6).

Alan Smith