Sitting back in our hotel room at the Yodeler Motel in Red Lodge, MT after a great day of riding, and we are already searching for the next chase. The details on the next wave of snow are below. We woke up today to the Red Lodge snow report of only 1\. However the 5-6\" on our car as well as the snotel site showing much more than 1\" got us excited as we left the hotel. Once the website was updated around 10 AM, the laps we were riding with nearly a foot of fresh snow confirmed the 10\" of new snow at mid mountain that the snow report showed. This was the least crowded powder day we can remember. We lapped Cole Creek 8 times in under two hours, with approximately 5 TOTAL skiers/riders in the area during this time. It felt like our own private resort and it was excellent. While you could feel some bumps and crust on certain aspects, once we figured out where to go, and especially the Headwaters, were bottomless. We should probably stop talking about this place now in order to preserve its incredible vibe. On to the forecast.
Don't put your powder skies and boards away yet, especially if you live in Washington. The northern Cascades will see two moderate to heavy storms just this week, with totals over two feet likely by midday Saturday. Baker will likely be the deepest, but Stevens should do pretty well also. Check out the plumes showing the range of accumulation from numerous ensemble runs:
(Image courtesy of the University of Utah)
You can see two distinct periods of snow this week. Tomorrow afternoon through Thursday morning and Friday evening through Saturday morning. Both events could drop over a foot at Baker, with the first storm likely the deeper one. However the second storm should be a little colder once the cold front moves through, and with the new snow from the midweek storm, Saturday is shaping up to be the best day. Both Baker and Stevens should have 6-12 new for Thursday, while Friday into Saturday should fall within the 5-10\" range. As you move farther south in the Cascades, totals will decrease significantly. Here is another way to gauge how much snow will fall in the next 5 days:
(Image courtesy of the University of Utah)
This map shows the probability of snowfall being greater than 24\". For the Cascades in northern Washington, the probability of more than 2 feet of now falling is very high. Definitely what you like to see.
Both waves of snow will also impact British Columbia, Idaho, and Montana, with Red Lodge in good position once again to score some April Powder before they close for the season. There will be some soft turns to be had touring some closed resorts in Montana as well. Overall though, the best chase will be to Washington.
Check out our footage from today by following our forecaster @lstone84 on Instagram.
Happy powder hunting,
Luke
