March Madness is in full swing in terms of North American weather right now. Here is a summary of what to expect over the next 5 days:

1. Northwest to Northern Rockies Cold Storm Cycle – Snow will continue from the Northwest into the Northern Rockies over the next 1-2 days, and a little bit of snow will sneak into Northern Colorado as a cold front moves.
   
   
2. Northwest Warm-Up Sunday-Tuesday – Sadly, the snowy pattern will turn to a rainy pattern from the Northwest into Western Canada by early next week as a warm atmospheric river featuring subtropical moisture arrives.
   
   
3. Western U.S. Warm Spell – An anomalously strong ridge of high pressure will build into the Western U.S. this weekend and next week, with record-challenging warmth expected from California into the Southwest. This warmth will eventually overspread the entire Western U.S.
   
   
4. Upper Midwest Snowy Pattern – The deepest and most consistent snowfall over the next 5 days will be in the Upper Midwest! Back-to-back strong storms will move through between Friday and Monday, with portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northern Michigan, and Ontario looking at snowfall measured in feet.
   
   
5. East Coast Rollercoaster – The East already saw a dramatic temperature drop on Thursday, with some areas going from record warmth to snow in less than 24 hours. Temperatures will rebound this weekend, only to cool back down early next week, with periods of rain and some snow expected over the next 5 days.

Forecast for Friday (March 13):

Heavy snow will continue across the Washington Cascades, Northern Idaho, and Montana, with low snow levels expected with a cold airmass in place. The temperature boundary will be sharp, however, as Oregon will see much warmer temperatures and rain rather than snow.

A storm will also move across the Upper Midwest, bringing moderate to heavy snow to Northern Michigan and Ontario, while light to moderate snow will eventually reach Upstate New York and New England on Friday night.

Forecast for Saturday (March 14):

Snow will taper off across the Cascades on Saturday morning, while heavy snow will continue across Northern Idaho and Montana, eventually spreading into Wyoming as a cold front moves through.

As this storm moves eastward, snow will redevelop over the Upper Midwest, reaching Minnesota and Wisconsin by Saturday night.

In the East, snow will continue across Upstate New York, Northern New England, and Quebec during the day on Saturday before tapering off on Saturday night.

Forecast for Sunday (March 15):

Northern Colorado will see a quick shot of snow on Sunday morning as a cold front moves through, with respectable snow totals expected.

Meanwhile, a storm involving subtropical moisture will make landfall in the Northwest with precipitation starting as snow but eventually turning to rain over the Washington Cascades. Most mid to high elevation ski terrain in British Columbia will remain as snow during the early part of this cycle.

A powerful storm will impact the Upper Midwest with deep snow totals expected from Southern Minnesota to Wisconsin to Northern Michigan and into Ontario.  

Forecast for Monday (March 16):

A strong but warm storm will impact the Northwest with rain expected at ski resorts in Washington. Heavy snow will fall across British Columbia, but even there, snow levels will be on the rise as temperatures warm up.

A storm will continue to produce heavy snow across the Upper Midwest, with the impacts expanding into Eastern Canada, though most major ski resorts in Quebec will likely see a changeover to mixed precipitation and eventually rain.

The Eastern U.S. will mostly see rain during the strongest part of this storm, but a cold front will move through on the backside of the storm with a changeover to snow showers expected along the western slopes of the Appalachians, as well as the NY Adirondacks into Northern Vermont. 

Forecast for Tuesday (March 17):

A storm will continue to impact Western Canada, but snow levels will rise to near the summits of even the highest elevation ski resorts in BC, while most resorts in the Canadian Rockies should see snow levels peak around mid-mountain or so. 

In the Northeast, scattered snow showers and colder temperatures can be expected in the wake of Monday's storm.

Outlook for Wed (March 18) to Sun (March 22):

A strong ridge of high pressure will continue to expand across the Western U.S., resulting in anomalously warm temperatures for mid-March with some areas possibly challenging or even breaking records.

On the northern side of the ridge, storms will continue to impact Western Canada with high snow levels during the middle of the week, possibly coming down slightly by next weekend (low confidence).

Further east, warm air will spread into the Upper Midwest while a colder airmass will linger over the Northeast and New England with more shots of snow possible. 

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Monday (March 16).

Alan Smith