A powerful Nor'easter will bring heavy snow and strong winds to the Northeast on Monday, favoring coastal areas and major East Coast cities but also ski resorts from the Mid-Atlantic to Southern New England. One to two more storms are also expected across the Northeast later this week.

Five-day snow totals will generally range from 10-20 inches at ski resorts across the Northern Mid-Atlantic and Southern New England, with isolated higher amounts possible.

In the West, the storm track will favor Western Canada and the Northwest U.S., with two storms expected in the next 5 days. Further south, the Sierra Nevada Range and Tahoe will see rain up to 9,000 feet, while the Central Rockies (Utah and Colorado) will see a round of moderate snow mid-week.

Five-day snow totals will generally range from 1-2 feet across the Cascades and BC Coast Range, and 6-16 inches for most resorts across the BC/Alberta Interior and Northern U.S. Rockies. Further south, Northern Utah and Northern Colorado are looking at 5-10 inches. 

Forecast for Monday (Feb 23):

A storm will bring heavy snow to the Northeast, with Southern New England, the New York Catskills, and New Jersey picking up the deepest totals. On the backside of the system, upslope snow showers will also favor the Allegheny and Blue Ridge/Smoky Mountains, with ski resorts in West Virginia landing the highest totals. 

In the West, a strong storm will impact Western Canada and the Northwest U.S., with British Columbia and Washington scoring deep totals, while Northern Idaho and Northern Montana will also pick up significant snowfall.

Forecast for Tuesday (Feb 24):

In the West, a storm will track a bit further south than Monday's storm and will bring heavy snow and strong winds to the Northern U.S. Rockies, with Central Idaho and Western Wyoming favored for the deepest snow totals. Snow will also reach Utah and Colorado on Tuesday night.

In California, a strong storm will bring significant moisture to the Sierra Nevada Range, but temperatures will also be warm, and snow levels will be very high as a result, generally above 9,000 feet. 

Further east, a storm will move across the Upper Midwest, bringing moderate to locally heavy snow to Northern Minnesota, the UP of Michigan, and Ontario.

Forecast for Wednesday (Feb 25):

The middle of the week will be very active from coast to coast! In the West, a storm will continue to impact the U.S. Rockies with snow extending further south into Northern Utah and Northern Colorado.

Another strong storm will then reach Western Canada with heavy snow developing over BC and Alberta, and also extending into Northern Washington.

Another storm will also bring snow to the Northeast, with a follow-up storm on its heels moving into the Midwest.

Forecast for Thursday (Feb 26):

A storm will continue to impact the Northwest with heavy snow expected across BC, Alberta, and Northern Washington, while light snow will reach Northern Idaho and Montana.

Yet another storm is projected to track from the Upper Midwest into the Northeast, although there is some uncertainty in the storm track, along with potential impacts.

Forecast for Friday (Feb 27):

This is expected to be the final day of a 3-day storm cycle over Western Canada and the Northwest U.S., with additional snowfall expected. Snow will also remain possible over the Northeast, though again, there is uncertainty regarding the storm track, so confidence is low.

Outlook for Sat (Feb 28) to Wed (Mar 4):

An active storm track is expected to continue across the Upper Midwest and the Northeast, with frequent storms expected, potentially bringing more snow as we head into early March.

In the West, a ridge-dominant pattern is expected along with above-average temperatures for most areas west of the Divide. However, there is a chance for "sneaky" storms to occasionally slide down the Continental Divide from the Canadian Rockies into the Northern/Central U.S. Rockies.

Also, there are some hints of a weaker storm uncercutting the ridge and moving across the Sierra into the Central Rockies this weekend, though confidence is low. 

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Wednesday (February 25).

Alan Smith