Report From: Powderchasers.com
SIERRA
Moderate snow fell last night over a wide are of the Sierra (3-7). Colder air is arriving with the next phase of the storm which will bring an additional 5-10 inches to the Sierra Crest by Tuesday morning. 3-5 inches is expected at lake level. Models depict possibly higher amounts over Mammoth. All areas of the Sierra will see decent snowfall with light densities on top of the heavier snow that fell last night. 2 day totals in many areas will be in the 12-16 inch range the highest ridges. The Sierra is back from the dead last year!
ROCKIES:
Snow is already falling over North central Idaho (Brundage at 3 inches this morning), and will continue through the day and evening (5-10 inches). Most action focuses in a narrow line from north central Idaho through southern Montana (3-7 Bridger, Big Sky) and down to the northern area of the Tetons (3-7). Some areas in of north central Idaho could see 1-2 feet by the end of the week as a Pacific Northwest storm moves inland late Wednesday night.
The Wasatch grabs a solid 3-5 inches tonight and another 2-4 possible Tuesday as cold air orographics and perhaps some lake effect kick in creating some higher amounts in the Cottonwoods. Lets hope it happens!
Colorado is grabbing high stoke with wind directions favoring a wide area of resorts. Heavy snow under SW Flow will move in Tuesday afternoon in the San Juans (6-10) and move north late through Wednesday morning. Winds shift westerly after midnight and dump decent amounts inColorado’s central and northern mountains before veering NW (Snow continues along and north of I-70). Amounts should be in the 6-10 inch range in many areas with perhaps higher amounts atSteamboat (Cold air orographics and westerly flow late Tuesday night). Higher amounts also possible for Beaver Creek (Likes Westerly flow) and Vail (Likes Northwest flow). The Front range also fares well along the Divide with 6-10 inches likely by Wednesday morning (Winter Park, Loveland, A-Basin, Eldora) as winds veer to the north. Colorado is off to a great start!
CASCADES:
The Cascades have seen a few decent dumps at high elevations (Above 6500 feet). The next storm creates the most buzz of the season with cold air aloft and decent moisture. The action begins late Tuesday night and continues into Wednesday especially from Crystal to Stevens Pass(7-14) with a convergence zone of cold air setting up over many areas. The Eastern Cascades see 3-6 inches Wednesday. Whistler should nab 4-8 inches!
Long Term: Buzz is stirring in the weather center for next weekend! Models depict a very strong system moving over coastal British Columbian late in the week and slowly moving south along the Cascades by the weekend. This could spell for significant snowfall in many areas. Currently models don’t have a grasp on other areas (Could drop to the Sierra or move East over the northern Rockies while weakening).
