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7-Day Snow Forecast:

A northwest flow pattern is setting up with a high pressure ridge keeping conditions relatively quiet near the West Coast, while storms passing over the northern periphery of the ridge into Alaska and Canada will drop southward across the Rockies, bringing heavy snow to many areas.

All labeled ski resorts in the map below will be open through at least this weekend, providing opportunities for late-season powder turns. 

Forecast for Wed (Apr 16) to Thu (Apr 17):

A storm will slow down and strengthen as it moves from north to south from Canada into the Western U.S., resulting in heavy snow across parts of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. Moisture will also reach the Southern Sierra Nevada Range with light to moderate snow expected. 

In the East, New England will see snow showers on Wednesday followed by a drying trend on Thursday. 

Forecast for Fri (Apr 18) to Sat (Apr 19):

The Western storm will slowly work its way southward with snow continuing to fall across Colorado and Southern Utah, while Arizona and New Mexico will also get in on the action. The next storm will also reach Alaska and Western Canada on Saturday with snow showers developing.

In the East, a warmer and wetter pattern is expected with rain showers, especially on Saturday.

Forecast for Sun (Apr 20) to Mon (Apr 21):

The next storm will bring heavy snow to the Canadian Rockies and Northern U.S. Rockies while the Cascades and BC Coast Range will also pick up some snow on the western fringe of the storm track. Snow is also possible across Utah and Colorado on Tuesday, though there is some uncertainty in the southern progression of this storm. 

A storm will also impact the Upper Midwest with rain for most areas, but some areas could see wet snow mixing in with rain. 

Outlook for Tue (Apr 22) to Sat (Apr 26):

A northwest flow pattern will prevail across the West with frequent weaker storms expected to bring snow showers to the Northwest and the Rockies. Higher-elevation terrain will be the most favored for snowfall in this pattern given that it will be late April. 

Near to below-average temperatures are expected for the Northern Rockies, while the Southwest and California will see above-average temperatures and drier conditions.

In the East, above-average temperatures are also expected with semi-frequent weather systems bringing periods of rain. 

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Thursday (April 17).

Alan Smith 

NEW: Forecast Range Graphs

You can now view individual forecasts from global and regional high-resolution weather models in OpenSnow. This includes forecasts from the GFS, ECMWF, HRRR, and ICON models, as well as the OpenSnow blend.

The graphs give you a behind-the-scenes look at the forecast and make it easier to see if the forecast models are in tight agreement or if there is a wide range of potential outcomes over the next 10 days.

Note: This is currently only available in the OpenSnow iOS app and website (OpenSnow.com). Android will be available soon.

Getting Started

1. Go to any location screen.
2. Scroll down under "Weather" or "Snow Summary".
3. Tap "View Interactive Chart" in the app.
4. Adjust the model, timeframe, or data view.

Why is the Forecast Range helpful?

Understand if there is high or low confidence in the forecast. If all models show a similar forecast, there is higher confidence in the forecast, and vice versa.

Dig into the details. If you have experience looking at weather model data and trust certain models or higher-resolution models, you'll be able to isolate your favorite data.

View → Forecast Range Graphs