Before we get into the storm, we wanted to remind you that the rates for the Powder Concierge are going up in 10 days. The Powder Concierge is a service we offer that provides custom forecasts to help YOU ensure the deepest possible powder days. With everything going on with COVID 19, from reservations to travel restrictions to the fact that we all may ski and ride less days this season; getting the best conditions when we DO ski/ride is more important than ever. To sign up before the rate increase or to learn more about the Powder Concierge, click here.
Now onto the snowstorm, the reason you came to the website in the first place. Well, its still 5+ days out, so we aren't going to go into too much detail yet. But, we are looking at the possibility of the first widespread snowfall for the western US, with the high end being double digits in many locations. The best part about this storm is that it looks like that it will bring accumulating snowfall to a large geographical area, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, British Columbia, and possibly California. Check out one model's snow output for the next week:
(Image courtesy of Weatherbell)
Actually, the best part about this storm is the potential for rainfall in California. While it does not appear to be a fire season ending soaking, some model runs have been putting down a solid amount of precipitation. However, there still is some uncertainty with how much rain will fall, as the models have not been as consistent about this. Over the last few days though, the models have been narrowing in on a snowy solution, and we are happy about that. It also does not look like a huge snowfall that could pose snowpack issues down the road, which is something we always worry about with October snowstorms. This event will not feature any one exceptionally heavy 24 hour period, rather there will likely be two separate waves of snow lasting from Saturday through Tuesday.
As expected, there's some cold air with this storm too. Check out the temperature forecast for Sunday through Thursday.
(Image courtesy of Weatherbell)
The 700mb temperature map, or what the temperatures are at about 10k feet, are as low as -7C to -11C, which is about 12-20 degrees. That's a solidly cold airmass for October. It's always fun to look at some ensemble plumes to get an idea of how much snow is possible, and they are just coming into range. Look at the plumes for Alta, UT:
(Image courtesy of The University of Utah)
That is pretty striking. Although ensembles 5+ days out aren't the most reliable, seeing an individual member of 40\" and a mean of 10\" is very exciting. Jackson Hole is looking good on the plumes too.
(Image courtesy of The University of Utah)
This storm is definitely one to keep an eye on.
The main takeaways, this far out, are that you can expect below normal temperatures and periods of snowfall from Saturday through Tuesday. Across a wide area, snow totals could approach double digits by the time the snow stops falling. Look for an update in a couple days.
Once again we'd like to remind you of our new partner Selkirk Powder Guides. Selkirk Powder Guides provide cat, heli, self-propelled, and snowmobile-assisted alpine ski excursions and guided snowmobile tours. With license and permits covering over 200,000 acres of the rugged and beautiful Selkirk Mountain range, they offer expansive terrain and conveniently operate out of Schweitzer in Sandpoint, Idaho. They are now taking reservations for the 2020/2021 season.
Also, the price of the Ikon pass will go up on October 14th, so make sure to lock in the lowest rate before then right here.
It's time to think SNOW!
Powderchaser Luke
