Powder Alert: Major Arctic Blast and Snowstorms Incoming for Skiers!
The Thanksgiving weather forecast for 2025 could deliver the goods for skiers and snowboarders. A weakening polar vortex is unleashing multiple waves of Arctic air across the U.S., which are combining with a persistent atmospheric river that is pumping moisture from the Pacific. This classic setup means cold air + plentiful precip = snowfall opportunities, especially for Eastern and interior resorts.
Right now, as of November 20, the West is already cashing in. An active atmospheric river slams the Sierra Nevada, Cascades, and Rockies with solid precipitation. High elevations see feet of fresh snow, building early-season bases in places like Tahoe, Mammoth, and Colorado’s high country.
But the real game-changer comes post-Thanksgiving. Models show a disrupted polar vortex spilling frigid air eastward starting around December 1. This positive PNA pattern (warm ridge West, deep trough East) funnels Arctic blasts into the Plains, Midwest, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. Temperatures plummet 15–25°F below normal in many spots, turning any moisture into snow gold.
The GFS and European models agree on back-to-back systems in late November into early December:
- Upper Midwest and Great Lakes: Heavy lake-effect bands + clippers could dump feet.
- Ohio Valley and interior Northeast: Potential for the season’s first big accumulators (6–12+ inches possible in favored upslope areas).
- Mid-Atlantic and New England mountains: Coastal lows might bomb offshore, delivering widespread 8–18 inches to resorts like Killington, Stowe, Jay Peak, and the Catskills.
Uncertainty remains on exact storm tracks—European keeps some systems farther north, while GFS paints heftier snow south to PA/WV. Either way, the signal for multiple threats is the strongest we’ve seen this fall. Lake-effect machines will crank in full force with unfrozen Great Lakes and howling northwest winds.
This isn’t a one-and-done either. The polar vortex disruption hints at repeated cold shots through mid-December, keeping bases deep and conditions prime. Eastern skiers, dust off those rock skis no more—real winter is here!
Stay tuned to daily model runs, pack the goggles, and get ready to send it. Who’s joining me for first chair when the lifts spin under fresh dumps? Let’s go!