Winter Storm Iras Spreading a Snowy, Icy Mess From the Northwest and Rockies

January 8,2017
Winter Storm Iras continues to impact the West with snow and ice not only in mountain locations, but also in some lower elevations. Following signifcant ice accumulations in the Northwest, temperatures should warm in area valleys and thus precipitation will turn to all rain or snow early Monday. Iras will swing into the Dakotas and Upper Midwest with a quick burst of snowfall on Monday.
Up to an inch of ice was reported late Saturday in Lane County, Oregon, which includes Eugene, Creswell and Goshen. Eugene, Oregon, also picked up 4.5 inches of snow. La Pine, Oregon reported 0.19 inches of ice on top of 3 feet of snow on Sunday. Freezing rain and snow has impacted the Salt Lake City metro and Portland areas Sunday.
(LATEST NEWS: Winter Storm Iras Impacts)
After impacting the West, Iras will turn its sights on parts of the Midwest and Northeast early this week.
(MORE: How Winter Storms Are Named | Winter Storm Central)

Current Conditions and Radar

An ice storm warning has been issued for Portland, Oregon. Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories also include other parts of Oregon and Washington eastward into Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. Ice storm warnings are also now posted in parts of southwest Idaho and eastern Oregon.

Winter Weather Alerts

Farther south, an atmospheric river will draw in abundant amounts of moisture to California and Nevada. This system will continue to push several bands of precipitation from southwest to northeast across the area.
(MORE: California, Nevada Flood Threat)
Upper-level energy will push eastward through the nation's northern tier early in the week, spawning an area of low pressure that will bring wintry weather to the Upper Midwest and interior Northeast.
Let's break down the details day by day, and then take a look at which areas may take the brunt of the wintry precipitation from Iras.

Monday's Forecast

• Snow continues in the Cascades, Sierra and Rockies with lowering snow levels.
• Light snow spreads into the northern Plains and Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, possibly becoming heavier Monday night.
• Some sleet/ice is possible on the southern edge of that Plains/Midwest precip area, particularly Monday night.

Monday's Forecast

Tuesday's Forecast

• Low pressure wraps up in the Great Lakes with snow and wind in the northern Great Lakes and Upper Midwest.
• A wintry mix of sleet, ice or snow pushes into the interior Northeast and eastern Great Lakes.
• An occasional mix of snow and raind is possible along/near I-95 Boston-Washington corridor.

Tuesday's Forecast

How Much Snow?

• Less than 6 inches of snow expected for most areas from eastern Montana to the Dakotas, Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan.
• Over a foot of snow is expected for the highest elevations in the northern Rockies.

Snowfall Forecast

Snowfall Totals So Far

Here are some select snow totals from Iras as of Sunday evening.
California: 25 inches in Mammoth Lakes
Idaho: 12 inches in Hailey; 2-4 inches in Boise
Montana: 6.5 inches near Finley Point
Nevada: 5.0 inces near Incline Village
Oregon: 20 inches near Paulina; 9.0 inches in Bend; 4.5 inches in Eugene
Utah: 10.0 inches in Brighton Crest
Washington: 14.0 inches in Cle Elum

Ice Accretion Totals So Far

Here are some select ice totals from Iras as of Sunday Evening.

California: 0.25-0.50 inches in Big Pine
Oregon: 0.75-1 inch of ice in Creswell; 0.75 inches near Eugene

MORE: Winter Storm Iras, January 2017