SUMMARY;
Its a busy afternoon in the chase room as decisions get made for the next deep days. Taos was the best resort to be at today with over 17 inches of light density pow and mostly from last night. Every region in the west is scoring big time powder days this season and the next 7 days will prove itself again for Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and even the Sierra by Tuesday.
FORECAST:
Light snow is falling over much of Idaho this afternoon and migrate to the Tetons Saturday night. Snow increases in the Oregon Cascades with strong winds. Where to chase for Sunday?
The deepest and best quality will likely be in most of the Oregon Cascades including Mount Bachelor where models are pinning very high amounts with low snow levels (10-20 inches) by late Sunday. Winds appear strong, so aim for areas that do not have upper mountain closures or can withstand significant snow in a short period of time. 1st chairs Sunday will be deep and it will only increase during the day. Quality will be high but winds may play some tricky games. AVY danger will be increasing!
In Idaho downstream from the Oregon deepness, snow will be falling Saturday night into Sunday. Light to moderate amounts will be reported as of early Sunday especially near Brundage (4-9). Sun Valley may see lower amounts due to slightly less favorable wind direction (3-5). Heavier snow falls Sunday in Idaho with most resorts reporting 8-13 inches by last chairs. It's going to be really tough to nail the deepest amounts but I would gamble Tamarack and Brundage, perhaps Bogus get the highest. Sun Valley won't be too far behind but could possibly catch up Monday? Best turns will be \all day Sunday\"
In the Teton's light to moderate snow, Saturday night will likely provide your early wake-up call with 6-10 inches. Additional snow will be falling Sunday with moderate winds. Total snowfall in the Tetons through late Sunday may exceed 11-15 inches. Some moderate snow is even possible in southern Montana resorts near Big Sky (4-7 inches by late Sunday). Montana may score more snowfall Sunday night!
EXTENDED:
Short version due to chase in progress:
Moisture increases over the west on Sunday night and Monday. Another 9-15 inches is likely to fall over many spots of central and southern Idaho (Sun Valley may kick in with a more Southerly wind direction) with most resorts scoring deep pow. Oregon grabs another foot Sunday night before most moisture aims east. The Tetons score another 10-15 inches with increasing winds (Could pose an issue for late AM or early PM Monday). Temps in the Rockies rise especially late Monday morning into Tuesday. Most valleys will continue as snow, however, quality may be deteriorating slightly at lower elevations.
The Sierra who was not on my earlier pow list may score significant snow beginning Monday night. The northern Sierra (Tahoe) is favored versus the south (Mammoth). Expect several feet of snow between Monday night and Wednesday. Snow levels will be slightly high near 6500 or 7,000 max. This may end up being lower with precip rates driving the snow below 5500 at times (Standby for more info).
The Rockies continue to get snowfall, especially Idaho and Wyoming with perhaps a break on Tuesday morning. Snow picks up again midweek. The Sierra storm drags over these areas mid to late next week. Utah is likely to get into the hunt by midweek as moisture streams further south Wednesday -Friday. Northern Colorado may be a beneficiary by the end of the week (Too far out to forecast). An addtional system for the west is likley Thursday or Friday. WOO HOO ULLR IS WITH US.
I will update this post after the next chase!
