Recent Snowfall:

An active pattern has taken hold across the West this week with several rounds of snow. Here are some of the deepest 2-day snow totals as of Thursday AM (March 28):

• 15" - Timberline (OR)
• 13" - Anthony Lakes (OR)
• 12" - Mammoth (CA)
• 12" - Mt. Baker (WA)
• 11" - Mt. Seymour (BC)
• 11" - Brundage (ID)
• 10" - Mt. Rose (NV)
• 10" - Sugar Bowl (CA)
• 8" - Lost Trail (MT)

Five-Day Snow Forecast:

A storm will slowly work its way across the West this weekend and into early next week. The Sierra, Wasatch, Colorado, and the Southwest are expected to see the deepest snow totals in this pattern, capping off what has been a snowy March.

Forecast for Fri (Mar 29) to Sat (Mar 30):

Snow from a departing storm will favor the Central Rockies (Utah and Colorado) on Friday with lighter snow showers across the Northern Rockies. The next storm will make landfall in California on Friday afternoon with heavy snow developing across the Sierra Nevada Range and continuing into Saturday. Snow will also re-develop over the Central Rockies on Saturday.

Northern New England could see some light snow showers/flurries on Friday with heavier snow for Maine and New Brunswick as a storm passes to the east. A storm will also move across the Great Lakes on Friday night-Saturday with a mix of rain and snow expected.

Forecast for Sun (Mar 31) to Mon (Apr 1):

Snow will taper off across the Sierra and pick up across the Central and Southern Rockies as the storm works its way inland. The Northwest and BC will head into a dry pattern, while further north a storm will bring heavy snow to Alaska.

A weak storm will move across New England but only light snow showers are expected.

Forecast for Tue (Apr 2) to Wed (Apr 3):

Snow will persist over Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico into early Tuesday morning, otherwise, the Western U.S. will see a break in the pattern. A storm will bring heavy snow to Northwest and West Central BC, with snow eventually reaching Southern BC/Alberta and possibly the Washington Cascades by Wednesday afternoon.

A strong storm is expected across the East during this period with a mix of rain and snow across the Great Lakes and New England. Depending on the storm track, temperatures, and precipitation type, heavy snow is possible in some areas. 

Outlook for Thu (Apr 4) to Mon (Apr 8):

A storm is expected to work its way into the Northwest and Northern/Central Rockies during this period along with colder air. In other words, winter conditions will return to much of the West. The Sierra looks to be right on the western edge of the storm track but could pick up some snow. New England could also see some snow early in this period, followed by a drying trend later in the period.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Monday (April 1).

Alan Smith 

NEW: Snow Ratio Forecast

You can now get a good idea of the upcoming snow quality for the next storm via our new "Snow Ratio" forecast for any location in OpenSnow.

When we talk about snow quality, such as “light and fluffy” or “heavy and wet”, we are talking about the snow-to-liquid ratio. The higher the snow-to-liquid ratio, the lighter the snow quality, and vice-versa.

1. Go to any location screen and tap the "Snow Summary" tab.
2. Scroll down to the 5-day hourly or 10-day forecast section.
3. View the 5-day hourly or daily "Snow Ratio" forecast for the next 10 days.

10:1 will be fun but will feel a little heavy. 15:1 will offer some faceshots and feel pretty light. 20:1 will be incredibly light, almost like skiing through nothing but air.

This new feature is currently available with the latest version of the OpenSnow iOS app installed (App Store > OpenSnow > Update) or on the OpenSnow website (OpenSnow.com). It will be available in the OpenSnow Android app soon.

View → Snow Ratio Forecast