A strong ridge of high pressure will lead to anomalously warm temperatures across the West this week, with some areas expected to break all-time high temperature records for the month of March.

The peak of the warm spell from a west-wide perspective will be on Wednesday and Thursday, when many areas will see temperatures ranging from 20-30ºF above average.

Sadly, this warm spell comes at a time when snowpack levels are already well below average, and in some cases near historic minimums for this time of year. Areas with sufficient snow coverage will see good spring skiing conditions this week, though the snow will soften up earlier in the day than usual and will become slushy by late in the day.

While the Western U.S. is not expecting much snow this week, other parts of North America will see snow, so let's dive into the details...

Forecast for Wednesday (March 18):

A storm will impact Western Canada with heavy snow for the higher elevations. However, most ski resorts will see rain rather than snow except for the summits of some higher elevation resorts.

The Upper Midwest will see just a light follow-up wave on the heels of a major snow event, with light to moderate snow totals favoring Ontario more so than the U.S. 

Forecast for Thursday (March 19):

A storm will continue to bring heavy snow to higher elevations in Canada, though once again, most ski terrain will see rain rather than snow, except for the summits of higher elevation resorts. 

A storm will also move into Eastern Canada with light snow expected across Quebec, while Northern New York and New England could also see a few light snow showers. 

Forecast for Friday (March 20):

A storm will continue to impact Western Canada with snow levels beginning to drop over the Coast Range (including Whistler), while snow levels will remain high in the warmer sector of the storm across the Interior.

A weak storm will also move into the Northeast with light snow developing across Upstate New York, Northern New England, and Quebec.

Forecast for Saturday (March 21):

A cold front will move through the Northwest on Saturday with light snow expected across BC and Washington as snow levels drop. Heavier snow is possible across the Alberta Rockies.

In the Northeast, snow showers will continue across Northern New England and Quebec.

Forecast for Sunday (March 22):

A weak cold front may bring a few light showers to the Northern Rockies, but confidence is low. Further north, Southern BC and Alberta should see a break in the pattern, while a colder storm is expected to impact Northern BC.

A storm is also possible across the Northeast on Sunday, with Northern New England and Quebec currently looking favored for snow.

Outlook for Mon (Mar 23) to Fri (Mar 27):

High pressure will weaken a bit across the West, but California into the Southern/Central Rockies will hang onto above-average warmth with limited snow potential. 

Further north, a colder storm is projected to move across the Northwest, Western Canada, and Northern Rockies around March 24-25, and these areas have the best chances of seeing meaningful snowfall across the West during this period.

A colder-than-average late-season airmass also looks to prevail across the Upper Midwest and the Northeast, with 1-2 storms possible during this time. 

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Friday (March 20).

Alan Smith

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