High-Level Summary:
The West is experiencing summer-like temperatures with near 80 in Denver, 97 in Vegas, and some Sierra ski areas already announcing early closing dates. Spring officially starts on Friday, but it feels like July. The Pacific Northwest is getting rain with wet snow noted above 6,000 feet in BC (Upper peaks near Whistler). Rain tapers by Friday with a dry cold front this weekend. It will be in the mid 50's in Jackson today. Will winter return?
Decent moisture with a warm front moves back into the PNW/western Canada by Tuesday next week, followed by cold air and snow. There will be opportunities to chase powder my mid next week in the PNW, Canada, and the northern Rockies (Weaning moisture). Some areas of the PNW might nab 10-15 inches of snow. Another storm moves in at the end of March.
Below: Creekside Base at Whistler looked gloomy on Wednesday morning.
Below: If you need any small glimmer of hope, it was snowing at the Roundhouse early Wednesday morning at Whistler. This might have migrated to liquid during the day. Upper elevations will have surf pow (Peak chair has been closed). Snow moves back in next week.
Below: 4800-foot temps are above freezing in the entire west, and even in southern BC (Western and interior), extending into Alberta. 4800 temps in the Cascades are near 40F in the Cascades. Even warmer conditions are evident inland and in the southern Cascades. This has resulted in several inches of rainfall at most ski areas. The Rockies are seeing 70's and 80's with near 97F in Vegas! Spring starts Friday, but it feels more like summer.
Jackson Airport Announcement: If you are flying in or out of Jackson, Wyoming, there is bus service from START Transit that will keep things green and save you money. This service is ending on April 6th, and unfortunately, it might end after a 3-year trial. Please support them in the final weeks.
Below: Temps on Thursday morning at Stevens Pass with light rain falling at press time. You can see the snow base trickling down by an inch every few hours (Snow bases are pretty resilient overall)
Below: Glimmer of hope! Much colder air moves back into Canada and the PNW by Saturday/Sunday. Precipitation tapers off with this colder air (Likely will see a frozen layer). Temps drop to -6 or -7 °C at 4800 feet in the northern Cascades, western BC, but appear a bit warmer for inland BC. Alberta might be colder.
Don't give up hope, as moisture returns to the PNW/Canada next week with a weak warm front, followed by cooling. This moisture could bring decent totals to some areas of the PNW/Canada with leftovers in the northern Rockies. Another storm might hit towards the end of the month.
EXTENDED POWDER FORECAST
Tuesday (3/24) to Thursday (3/26)- Storm #1
24 hour incrementa snowfall starts in the PNW, BC, Alberta by Tuesday next week and migrates to northern Idaho, southern BC, and the Tetons. The moisture comes in with a warm front that pushes snow levels to near 4500 initially, before colder air moves in on Wednesday. Highlights appear to be the northern or central Cascades of Washington, western and southern BC. You can see leftovers in Idaho, the Tetons, and southern Montana by Wednesday.
Below: Temps warm with the initial surge of moisture early next week in the PNW and BC/Alberta. This moisture will bring high-density snow above 4500 feet, but it is followed by colder air on Wednesday. This setup leads me to be on watch for a nice, dense layer of snow to cover up the ice layers, and hopefully land some decent quality by Wednesday.
Friday (3/27) to Tuesday (3/31) (Storm #2)
High pressure takes grip late next week, followed by a signal for low pressure by the end of next weekend (3/29-3/31). This system seems to favor the PNW and Canada, but might push a bit further south into Oregon. This system might also start with 4800-foot snow levels and migrate colder behind the front (warm to cold).
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Forecaster: Powderchaser Steve @powderchasersteve (Insta)
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