The last in a series of storms for the Sierra Nevada Range and Tahoe will exit by Friday morning, while Southern Utah and Southern Colorado will be favored as a storm moves inland with snow totals ranging from 8-16 inches in many areas.

Heading into early next week, the storm track will favor the Northwest, and many ski resorts are looking at 1-2 feet of snow over the next 5 days. 

An active pattern will also continue across the Upper Midwest and the East with multiple storms expected through early next week. Ski resorts across the UP of Michigan, New England, New York, and the Central Mid-Atlantic around West Virginia will see 8-16 inches of snow over the next 5 days. 

Forecast for Friday (Feb 20):

A storm will move across the Southern Rockies with ski resorts in Western and Southern Colorado and Southern Utah favored for the deepest snow totals. Arizona and Northern New Mexico will pick up some snow as well.

A weaker disturbance will move across the Northern Rockies, but only light snow showers are expected.

A strong storm will impact the Upper Midwest and the Northeast with pockets of heavy snowfall expected over the UP of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ontario, New York, and New England. 

Forecast for Saturday (Feb 21):

Most of the West will see a break in the pattern, but a low pressure area will develop well offshore with enough moisture reaching the West Coast, and in particular, Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula for heavy snowfall at areas such as Mt. Washington and Hurricane Ridge. Light snow showers will also develop over the Cascades.

Lingering snowfall can also be expected over the Northeast, but snowfall rates will begin to lighten up as the storm winds down. However, a second storm will begin to impact the Upper Midwest with moderate snowfall favoring the UP of Michigan.

Forecast for Sunday (Feb 22):

A storm will continue to spin offshore from the West Coast with heavy snow continuing to fall over Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula as well as the Central BC Coast Range, with lighter snow from Whistler southward into the Cascade Range.

In the East, a storm will track from northwest to southeast from the Upper Midwest into the Mid-Atlantic and Southern Appalachians with snow favoring the Alleghenies in West Virginia.

Forecast for Monday (Feb 23):

A storm will make landfall in the Northwest with moderate to heavy snow developing across Western Canada and the Washington Cascades, as well as far northern portions of Idaho and Montana. Warmer air will arrive with this storm, so some lower elevation ski resorts could see rain mix in near the bases.

In the East, snow showers will continue across the Mid-Atlantic with West Virginia favored for the highest snowfall totals, while a little bit of snow could also sneak into Southern New England.

Forecast for Tuesday (Feb 24):

A storm over the Northwest will gradually work its way southward with snow extending from Western Canada and Washington into Oregon, Central Idaho, and Western Wyoming. Moisture will also reach the Sierra Nevada Range, but high snow levels are expected here, with rain up to mid-elevations or higher possible.

Another storm will track across the Upper Midwest, with the highest snowfall totals currently projected in Ontario, with lighter snowfall for Northern Minnesota and Michigan. However, this is subject to change depending on any southward or northward shifts in the storm track.

Outlook for Wed (Feb 25) to Sun (Mar 1):

In the West, the dominant storm track looks to favor the Pacific Northwest, Western Canada, and far northern U.S. Rockies, with frequent storms expected along with near-average temperatures.

Confidence in the pattern is lower across the West Central U.S. from the Sierra into Utah and Colorado, but it's possible some storms could reach this area, especially early in this period. Temperatures are expected to be much warmer across this region, however.

Across the Upper Midwest and the Northeast, an active pattern is likely to continue with additional storms and snow opportunities expected. 

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Monday (Feb 23).

Alan Smith