2/22/2021

February continues to deliver for the PNW, Northern Rockies, and Colorado.

This past week was a winner for much of the Great Basin as the Pacific continued to push moisture into the PNW and throughout the rest of the Rocky Mountains. Over the weekend, Colorado saw between 6-12 inches of powder snow while their neighbors to the north in Wyoming saw between 27-34 inches.

Related: Reserve your spot on the mountain this season with RSVP – Refundable Ski Vacation Packages

Shifting the focus to the here and now, the snow line is currently moving north. Ski resorts in Washington State, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming should all see significant accumulations this week. The first segment of the storm, which arrives today will be temperate, offering slightly below freezing temperatures and moderate snowfall rates at places like Crystal Mountain and Snoqualmie Pass before moving west and arriving in the Northern Rockies tonight/tomorrow. However, snow should continue in the PNW through the week with higher totals forecasted from Wednesday-on as an atmospheric river sets up over the region. Towards the weekend, expect the jet stream and that atmospheric river moisture to move slightly further south, bringing with snow to portions of Northern Colorado and Utah.

LET IT SNOW!

48-Hour Snow Totals: USA

  1. Grand Targhee, WY – 15″
  2. Jackson Hole, WY – 14″ 
  3. Steamboat, CO – 11″
  4. Crystal Mountain, WA – 9″
  5. Aspen Snowmass, CO – 8″

Wyoming:

Jackson Hole:

Grand Targhee:

Colorado: 

Steamboat:

Aspen: 

Washington:

Mt Baker:

Crystal:

Summit at Snoqualmie:

NOAA SHORT-TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION: 

Another upper-level disturbance will impact the Northwest through Tuesday by producing heavy mountain snow across the Cascades and Northern Rockies, and potentially heavy rain along the Pacific Northwest coast and inland areas. Heavy snow is likely to slam the Northern Cascades, where multiple feet may have fallen by Wednesday morning. Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for much of the northern Cascades. Parts of the Northern Rockies are also likely to receive over a foot of snow. Blizzard, on top of, Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for parts of the Montana Rockies due to the additional wind threat in the area. High Wind Warnings are in effect over parts of the Northern Rockies due to a tightened pressure gradient between high pressure to the east and the approaching low pressure system to the west. Temperatures across the Great Plains are generally expected to be above average today as the northwest system moves across the Rockies. Temperatures will begin falling below average across the Northwest, on the backside of the aforementioned frontal system today. This new system will eventually emerge over the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest on Tuesday before bringing another round of winter weather to the Great Lakes by midweek. 

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