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7-Day Snow Forecast:

In the West, a strong atmospheric river has produced wide-ranging impacts from heavy snow to heavy rain to gusty winds in recent days.

Montana, Idaho, and the Pacific Northwest have benefited from heavy snow and colder temperatures (low snow levels) while areas to the south have experienced unseasonable warmth and high snow levels.

Moving forward, we will see a transition to colder temperatures and lower snow levels for the rest of the West while storms will continue to bring snow to the Sierra, Cascades, and Rockies. Skiing conditions are looking good for the weekend in many areas. 

The East is also in a very active pattern with storms expected every couple of days for the foreseeable future. Northern New England will be favored for the deepest snow totals, while Southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic will see mixed precipitation, with freezing rain, sleet, and rain factoring in at times.

Some of these snow total projections in the map below from Pennsylvania to Virginia are likely too high due to sleet and freezing rain cutting into snow totals. 

Forecast for Wed (Feb 5) to Thu (Feb 6):

A storm will linger over Idaho and Montana on Wednesday after producing heavy snow across these areas on Tuesday. The next storm will arrive on Thursday with heavy snow (and thankfully lower snow levels) for the Sierra including Tahoe, with more snow spreading into the Northern Rockies on Thursday night.

The East will see a storm on Wednesday night and Thursday with predominantly snow expected across the Northern Great Lakes and Northern New England, while snow will likely change to freezing rain across New York and Southern New England, with precipitation starting as sleet/freezing rain and changing to rain further south from Pennsylvania to Virginia. 

Forecast for Fri (Feb 7) to Sat (Feb 8):

A storm will bring snow to the Sierra, Cascades, and Rockies on Friday with a drying trend on Saturday aside from some light snow showers/flurries. Colder air will arrive behind this storm with previously mild areas seeing a significant drop in temperature.

Another storm will move across the East with some similarities to the last one with Northern New England favored for snow, while Southern New England and New York could see heavy snow initially followed by a transition to sleet/freezing rain. More sleet and freezing rain is also expected from Pennsylvania to Northern Virginia.

Forecast for Sun (Feb 9) to Mon (Feb 10):

A weaker storm is possible over the Northwest with light to moderate snow possible, but snow quality will be good with a cold airmass in place.

In the East, snow will linger over New England on Sunday, then a storm is projected to move into the Mid-Atlantic as early as Monday with snow or mixed precipitation possible. 

Outlook for Tue (Feb 11) to Sat (Feb 15):

In the West, the pattern will start with light snow chances mainly across the Northwest, but then confidence is growing that stronger storms could return later in the period. Temperatures will be well below average across the Northwest and Northern Rockies, and near to slightly below average across the Southwest and Southern Rockies. 

In the East, there is growing potential for a storm to impact the Mid-Atlantic and perhaps New England early in this period, with the usual uncertainties in details 6-7 days out. 

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Friday (February 7).

Alan Smith 

NEW: Forecast Snowfall Maps

Visualize the snow forecast in 2D or 3D for the next 6, 12, and 24 hours, along with total snowfall for the next 10 days, for any location in the United States and southern Canada.

The maps are made with our internal blend of high-resolution weather forecast data, including our proprietary snow-to-liquid ratio algorithm that is specifically made for complex, mountain terrain.

Getting Started

1. Tap the "Maps" tab.
2. Tap the overlay button.
3. Tap "Forecast Snowfall".
4. Scrub the bottom slider.

What are the main use cases for the forecast snowfall maps?

Get an easy-to-use visualization of the snow forecast for your favorite locations, check the timing of upcoming storms to catch the deepest turns or to avoid snowy road conditions, and see which ski resorts are favored for the deepest snow totals.

Are there any limitations to the forecast snowfall maps?

The forecast snowfall maps count "mixed precipitation" as "snow" so the maps could show more snow in areas that are getting sleet or freezing rain, along with where the rain/snow line is difficult to forecast. Double-check any location by tapping the map for the forecast details.

View → Forecast Snowfall Maps