A storm will impact the Northwest and Western Canada on Wednesday, before sweeping across the U.S. Rockies on Thursday and Friday with a cold front moving through at the leading edge.

Many ski resorts across the Rockies and the Northwest will pick up 6-12 inches of snow from this storm through Friday night, while the Central Wasatch in Utah is looking at 10-15 inches. 

Forecast for Wednesday (March 4):

A storm will impact the Northwest with relatively mild temperatures in place, but mid to higher elevations at many resorts will pick up moderate to locally heavy snowfall. Light snow showers will reach as far south as Tahoe, but any accumulations will be very light. 

Forecast for Thursday (March 5):

A storm will move into the U.S. Rockies with a cold front arriving at the leading edge. The storm will split in half, with the best moisture and energy favoring Montana to the north and Utah to the south.

Across the Northwest and British Columbia, weaker disturbances will bring light snow showers, but colder air in place will result in lower snow levels.

In the Northeast, a storm will arrive on Thursday night with a wintry mix developing over Southern New England, while a separate disturbance will bring daytime snow showers to Quebec.

Forecast for Friday (March 6):

A storm will continue to impact the Central Rockies with snowfall spreading from Utah into Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming. Further north, another weaker storm will reach British Columbia and Northern Washington, but temperatures will begin to rise again as a warm front arrives. 

In the East, a storm will bring a mix of rain, snow, and ice to New England with generally messy conditions expected. Areas further south will see rain.

Forecast for Saturday (March 7):

A warm storm will impact Western Canada and the far Northwest U.S., with high snow levels expected along with rain for many areas. Higher terrain above the rain/snow line will see heavy snow, especially in Central and Northern BC.

In the East, a warm spell will continue to take hold, while a storm will bring snow to northern Ontario and Quebec, but north of most major ski areas. 

Forecast for Sunday (March 8):

A stronger storm will impact Western Canada, and a cold front will also arrive, leading to a significant drop in snow levels along with the potential for heavy snow at many ski areas. The Northern Washington Cascades will also see a drop in snow levels, with heavy snow possible.

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

A west/northwest flow storm track will favor the Northwest and the Northern Rockies next week and below-average temperatures are also expected across this region, which will lead to low snow levels and good quality snow.

Further south, Utah and Colorado look to be right on the southern fringe of the dominant storm track and could catch some snow from this pattern, but probably lighter compared to further north. California and Tahoe look to stay dry in this pattern.

Storms are also favored over the Upper Midwest in this pattern, with snow possible. A very warm airmass is expected to remain over the East, with rain being the favored precipitation type with any storms that occur.

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

Alan Smith