A strong ridge of high pressure has largely taken hold across the West early this week, keeping conditions mostly dry and very cold—especially in mountain valleys and basins where inversions have locked in bitterly cold air. Some areas are seeing the coldest overnight lows of the season so far.
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Bottom Line
- Very Cold This Week: Inversions and arctic air have settled into many valleys across the Intermountain West, producing subzero mornings and dangerous wind chills. Some moderation begins mid- to late week as southwesterly flow increases.
- Weekend Storm: A trough dropping from western Canada into the Four Corners area looks to bring light-to-moderate snow to parts of California’s Sierra, southern/central Utah, and especially southwestern and central Colorado Saturday into Sunday. Greatest totals may favor the San Juans and surrounding peaks.
- Extended Pattern: Next week’s pattern may keep below-average temps from the Great Basin southward, with potential for additional light snowfall. Meanwhile, the Pacific Northwest trends drier under building ridging.
Snowpack Update
Taking a look at the most recent snowpack update from the NRCS, we see continued moderate-to-favorable conditions in the northern tier of the US and far below average conditions in the south:
Current Pattern and Midweek Outlook
- Pacific Northwest (WA/OR Cascades, Northern Idaho): High pressure is bringing a continued dry stretch and inversions with chilly nights. Coastal ranges and the western Cascades may see patchy low clouds/fog in valleys, with only minimal snow chances (a dusting to perhaps 1–2 inches) Thursday or Friday.
- California (Sierra Range): Dry weather remains in control through midweek, with relatively mild afternoons above any inversion but cold overnight lows in the valleys/basins. Any snow showers on Thursday are confined well north; most areas remain dry until the weekend.
- Northern Rockies (ID/MT/WY): A transitory weak disturbance Wednesday could bring light snow (1–3 inches in favored mountain locations) across parts of western Montana and northern/central Idaho. Meanwhile, Wyoming stays quite cold until southerly flow picks up toward late week.
- Utah: High pressure has led to extremely cold valley temps and inversions along the Wasatch Front. Clouds increase late Wednesday into Thursday, but significant snow holds off until the weekend.
- Colorado: Brutally cold mornings continue—particularly central/northern mountain valleys—and daytime highs slowly moderate by midweek. A weak system brings minimal accumulations (0–2") for some north-central areas on Wednesday.
Weekend Storm Potential (January 24–26)
Confidence is growing for a weaker system brushing the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies late this week, and a potentially more impactful trough dropping out of the Gulf of Alaska/southwestern Canada into the Great Basin and southern Rockies. The exact track remains somewhat uncertain, but the best snow odds appear:
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Sierra (CA):
Tahoe Region could pick up 1–5 inches around Saturday (Jan 25) into early Sunday. Current estimates favor 1–3" for most Tahoe resorts, but Mammoth may do a bit better at 3–6 inches if the southern branch of the storm is more robust. -
Great Basin and Utah:
The main wave arrives Saturday into Sunday. Southern Utah resorts (Eagle Point, Brian Head) could see totals in the 4–7 inch range, while the Cottonwoods (Alta/Snowbird, Brighton/Solitude) might see 3–7 inches depending on storm track. Park City area is looking at around 3–6 inches. Keep an eye on how this system evolves; a more northern shift would also favor the Wasatch. -
Colorado:
This storm may favor the San Juans and central mountains with moderate accumulations. Wolf Creek stands out in guidance with 6–12 inches possible Saturday night into Sunday. Crested Butte and Monarch could see 5–10 inches, and the central I-70 corridor (Vail/Breck/Copper) is in the 3–7 inch range. Lesser amounts are expected farther north, but Steamboat could still pick up 3–7" by late weekend. -
Northern Rockies (WY/MT):
The southern edge of this system could skirt western Wyoming (Jackson Hole/Targhee) with generally 1–3 inches of new snow. Parts of southwestern Montana (Big Sky, Bridger, Whitefish farther north) may see 2–5" or so Friday into Saturday.
Extended Trends (6–10 & 8–14 Days)
- Forecast guidance shows below-normal temperatures lingering over the Southwest into next week, with milder or near-normal temperatures pushing into the Northwest. An active southern storm track may continue, bringing continued light-to-moderate snowfall chances to Utah/Colorado.
- Ridging in the Pacific Northwest likely keeps that region on the drier side, with only modest precipitation potential.
- Overall, keep an eye on the southwestern and central Rockies for better medium-range snow potential.
Keep checking back for updates as we fine-tune the weekend storm track. Enjoy the sunshine if you’re out west—but bundle up if you’re in a mountain valley—and get ready to chase some moderate powder where the storm track lines up this weekend!
NOTE: Please support Powderchasers with a donation, merchandise purchase(such as a hat or stickers), or sign up for our custom Concierge Powder Forecast Package, where we provide 1:1 phone & email support to get you to the deepest locations possible. When chasing snow, the Concierge gets you the very best intel. Sign up for our free email list so you never miss a powder day. We are also seeking new sponsors and ambassadors who want to submit photos and videos; please reach out for more
