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SYNOPSIS: Our forecast remains on track as light to moderate snow is falling over Mammoth Mountain (4 inches as of 6 AM) and will continue through 3PM (4-8 inch totals). The Tahoe basin will remain just north of the highest moisture so expect 1-4 inches at upper elevations. The real action and chase will be the Northwest where heavy mountain snow will bring 2-3 feet in the next 4 days and eventually filter into the Rockies later in the week.
NORTHWEST: 2 systems will impact the Northwest early this week. The first will bring widespread snow (Heaviest in the Southern Cascades) to many areas on Monday continuing heavily through Monday evening. Snow levels will be 4,000 feet bringing mixed precipitation to the bases and all snow through most alpine locations (Expect 12-18 inches of wet snow by early Tuesday). A brief break appears in the models on Tuesday AM where a 2nd storm brings an additional 9-14 inches Tuesday PM into Wednesday. Snow levels remain high until Wednesday where several inches of light density (THE GOOD STUFF), will fall towards the back end of this system. I would pick Wednesday as a chase day and a transition to colder temperatures. Currently most of the cold air is trapped in Canada where Whistler-Blackcomb is seeing heavy snow in the Alpine that will continue for the next several days (Good chase for today and Monday).
Northern Idaho including the interior of BC see accumulating snow late Tuesday through Thursday with Sun Valley and areas south beginning to see impacts Wednesday PM through Thursday. This all spreads into the Tetons and Wasatch on Thursday.
Rockies: Moisture will move into the Tetons and Wasatch Thursday (Mid morning) and continue through AM Friday. Today’s models are showing moderate to heavy moisture over these areas (12 plus in the Wasatch). Some energy drops south into northern Arizona (Arizona Snow Bowl) and southern Utah. This energy moves East late Friday and pushes a good surge of precipitation towards the 4 corners (Southern CO-UT, Northern AZ, NM). Some of this moisture will spread back into the Wasatch on Saturday so powder might be abundant even in areas around Salt Lake depending on how far this system pushes north. Colorado will see snow in many areas continuing on Saturday as the system moves up from the 4 corners over the central mountains and eventually the Front Range Powder alerts will be issued for these areas as the week progresses. My early guess would be Crested Butte, Wolf Creek, Silverton, Taos, AZ Snow Bowl, Monarch, and perhaps Summit County by late Saturday?
EAST COAST: light snow early this week accross northern Vermont (Heavier near Jay Peak) will give way to high pressure until next weekend when a very wet system moves in on Saturday with warmer temperatures (Head north and West).
THE CHASE FOR THE NEXT 7 DAYS!
Sunday: Mammoth Mountain (They have had 229 inches of snow this season), Whistler Blackcomb (Storm ski day).
Monday: BC storm skiing, Crystal, Stevens, Baker PM (Storm skiing, wet snow, rain at lowest elevations)
Tuesday: Cascades- snow easing by AM (Another 9-10 from Monday night- wet).
Wednesday: lighter density snow in the Cascades and continuing during the day, Northern Idaho near WA get the goods.
Thursday– Sun Valley, Central Idaho, snow moves into the Wasatch and Tetons during the day (Better in the PM).
Friday: Southern Utah, Northern AZ, Left over powder in the Wasatch?
Saturday: Wolf Creek, Taos, (Could be deep), southern Wasatch (Might push back into the Salt Lake Valley)?
Sunday: Front Range of Colorado, Summit County possible?
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Powderchaser Steve