As the early season continues, the West is starting to look more and more like winter. This week, we're tracking multiple storm systems bringing fresh powder across the Pacific Northwest, the Intermountain West, and into Colorado. Whether you're eyeing midweek turns or planning a powder chase for the weekend, we've got the breakdown on where and when to find the best snow in our full forecast below.
Storm #1: Monday through Wednesday
The first storm is already in progress, bringing moisture to the Pacific Northwest and the Intermountain West. The bulk of the heavy precipitation has already passed through the PNW—it started warm and wet, meaning snow accumulations weren’t huge early on, but some resorts are seeing decent accumulation on the tail end of this system at upper elevations.
Currently, the heaviest precipitation is making its way through the Intermountain West as it tracks southeast. Expect Utah and Wyoming to see the most action on Tuesday, with Colorado benefiting on Wednesday. By Wednesday night, lingering showers will be confined mostly to the Colorado mountains.
Snow levels in this storm are fluctuating quite a bit. In the PNW, they're sitting between 3,500-5,000 feet, with lower levels further north. Utah's snow levels will start high, around 9,000 feet when precipitation arrives early Tuesday afternoon, but will drop quickly—down to about 5,000 feet by the time the storm wraps up on Wednesday morning. The heaviest accumulations are expected where the snow levels dip below 6,500 feet. In Colorado, snow levels are starting at 10,000 feet but will lower to around 6,000 feet by the end of the storm, with the most substantial snowfall happening around the 9,000-foot mark.
Wind direction is also quite dynamic during this storm, and that affects which areas will receive the most favorable snow conditions. In Utah, winds will start from the southwest before shifting NNW, and then eventually northwest. Similar to the last storm for the Wasatch totals won't be impressive early on Tuesday however this time the winds stay NW overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. This could eke out some double digits for the Cotttonwoods by Wednesday morning as snow showers and possible lake effect bands continue (7-15). The Uinta range further east and even the upper slopes on the Canyons side of Park City could do well with this storm.
In Colorado, it’s mostly southwest winds, favoring spots like Wolf Creek, Purgatory and Silverton, which typically thrive in these conditions. The models also pump moisture north towards Telluride, Crested Butte and Aspen. Check out the strong southwest flow into southern CO on Monday night/early Tuesday morning:
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As for totals, this storm will drop the deepest powder across central Wyoming (although not near Jackson, unfortunately) and throughout Colorado—with the heaviest amounts in the central and southern mountains. Here’s a look at some predicted storm totals by Wednesday night. The northern areas of Colorado do best with the wind shift to the NW on Wednesday with better totals on the western aspects of the I-70 corridor.
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Alta: 8-12"
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Big Sky: 5-10"
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Jackson Hole: 3-6" (Targhee looking a bit better with 4-8")
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Steamboat: 4-7"
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Arapahoe Basin: 2-5"
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Vail: 3-8"
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Aspen/Snowmass: 8-12"
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Crested Butte: 5-10"
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Telluride: 9-15"
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Wolf Creek: 12-20"
If you’re chasing powder, the big winners are Telluride and Wolf Creek for this one, with Aspen/Snowmass also coming in strong. Keep in mind that Wolf Creek is the only Colorado ski area currently open for skiing and riding. However, with cold temperatures for snowmaking and decent natural snowfall from the storm, we expect at least one Summit County resort to open this week or weekend. Below is the ECMWF forecast for the first storm in the Rockies. Notice the deepest totals in the San Juans, Uintas, and central Wyoming:
Storm #2: Quick Hit for the PNW
The next round of action arrives Wednesday afternoon, bringing another pulse of moisture primarily to the Pacific Northwest and northern Intermountain West. This storm will mainly impact areas north of the Wasatch, meaning California, Utah, and Colorado will mostly miss out. Instead, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming will see most of the action.
Right now, models are split—the GFS keeps the focus on the PNW, while other guidance suggests a more interior push. Either way, here’s what we can expect by the time things are mostly wrapped up on Saturday night:
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The PNW should see anywhere from 3-10", with most of the storm focused in the south: the Oregon Cascades could get buried with 2-3 feet of snow.
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The mountains of Idaho will see 4-10", Montana will see a dusting to 3”, and the Tetons are likely looking at 1-5".
Some models are showing some action for the Sierra with this system. Tahoe could see some accumulation, though anything more than a few inches is unlikely at the moment. Below is the ECMWF (left) and GFS (right) forecasts for the second storm mid to late this week.
This storm isn’t as widespread or heavy as the first, but it should still deliver solid accumulations in the right spots—particularly the Oregon Cascades, which are in for a strong early-season dump.
Storm #3: La Niña Strikes Again
Looking further ahead, there's another system lined up for early next week, expected to roll into the Pacific Northwest by Monday. This one has the classic La Niña feel—targeting the PNW before sliding into the northern Intermountain West. The models are still uncertain about the temperatures (and therefore snow levels) as well as the exact placement of the heaviest precipitation. We’ll give the models a few more days to converge before making the final call on snow totals, but this could bring some solid early-season stoke to the region.
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