Recent Snow Totals:

While attention is currently shifting to Tahoe, the Northwest and the Northern Rockies have scored deep snow totals this week from multiple storms. Snow levels have been low for the most part, which is great news for Cascade and Coast Range ski resorts that had been struggling this season.

Check out some of the 5-day snow totals recorded from February 24th-29th:

• 60" - Timberline (OR)
• 50" - Stevens Pass (WA)
• 48" - Mt. Baker (WA)
• 46" - Mt. Hood Meadows (OR)
• 44" - Kicking Horse (BC)
• 44" - White Pass (WA)
• 35" - Revelstoke (BC)
• 32" - Whistler (BC)
• 31" - Castle Mountain (AB)
• 27" - Grand Targhee (WY)
• 25" - Silver Mountain (ID)
• 21" - Snowmass (CO)
• 20" - Schweitzer (ID)

Incredible Snow Totals Expected for Tahoe this Weekend:

A huge storm will pummel Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Range from Friday through Sunday. The storm will feature ample moisture from the Pacific, but will also be drawing in cold air from the north, resulting in high snow-liquid ratios. 

Tahoe ski resorts and areas further south toward Mammoth are expected to receive 4-8+ FEET of snow from this storm over the next 72 hours. On the snow forecast map below, the color bar maxes out at 48 inches, which is not high enough for this storm as ski resorts in the area are expected to blow past this value.

For local analyses and detailed forecasts for this storm, check out the Tahoe Daily Snow and the Mammoth Daily Snow.

While Tahoe will see by far the deepest snow totals from this storm, there is also a lot of snow in the forecast throughout the West from Friday through early next week. Other favored areas include the Oregon Cascades, the Sawtooths in Idaho, and the Tetons in Wyoming.

Check out the 5-day snow forecast from Friday AM through Tuesday AM: 

Forecast for Fri (Mar 1) to Sat (Mar 2):

Heavy snow and strong winds can be expected across Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Range throughout this period. Oregon, Idaho, and Wyoming will also see heavy snow with lighter (but still solid) snow totals expected further north into Montana, Washington, British Columbia, and Alberta. Northern Utah will also get in on the action on the southern fringe of the storm track.

Across the East, a storm has trended further north for the weekend with rain showers expected across the Mid-Atlantic and New England while only the higher elevations of the Appalachians will see some snow mix in.

Forecast for Sun (Mar 3) to Mon (Mar 4):

Comparatively lighter snow will continue across the Sierra into Sunday before tapering off on Sunday night. The storm will pick up speed and swing inland across the Central Rockies, bringing a round of more widespread snow to Utah and Colorado. 

A series of weaker storms will continue to bring snow to the Northwest and Northern Rockies, and Tahoe will also see some refills on Monday in the wake of the big storm. 

Forecast for Tue (Mar 5) to Wed (Mar 6):

Confidence is low in the pattern for the West during this period as models are in poor agreement regarding the track of the next storm. But the Sierra, Cascades, and Northern Rockies all have a decent chance of picking up more snow.

Another period of rain showers is expected across the East as well with temperatures running above average for early March.

Outlook for Thu (Mar 7) to Mon (Mar 11):

A chilly airmass will remain in place across the West with the dominant storm track expected to favor Northern BC and Southeast Alaska. We could see some weaker storms reach the Pacific Northwest and possibly Northern California, though confidence is not as high for these areas.

The East looks to stay in an unseasonably warm pattern with more rain expected.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Monday (March 4).

Alan Smith 

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