Snow Bringing Slippery Travel to Northwest, Rockies

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

November 16,2013; 6:40AM,EST

 

 

Snow and locally gusty winds are spreading from the Northwest to the northern Rockies, making for slippery travel this weekend.
The heaviest snow has shifted from the Cascades to the mountains of the northern Rockies for this Saturday, creating treacherous travel along the highest parts of I-90.
Motorists traveling through these areas should expect delays and restrictions due to 6 to 12 inches of snow with blowing and drifting.

@snowblowersdir tweeted: "#Snow expected in US Northwest this weekend, see how much will fall in your area on this @accuweather article." Additional Relevant Tweets and Social Media Reaction

Motorists who must travel cross country may want to take a more southern route such as I-84 to I-80.

As of Saturday morning, the Washington Department of Transportation reported that chains were required on all vehicles, except those that are all-wheel drive, on I-90's Snoqualmie Pass. Oversize vehicles are prohibited from traveling over the pass.
Some snow is also dropping southward into the Tetons in Wyoming, the Rockies in Colorado and the Wasatch in Utah for the weekend.
Most of the snow will fall over the mountains in the Northwest and northern Rockies, but not all of it.
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Light to moderate snow is forecast to fall over much of western Montana, including in Butte and Bozeman.

To the south, a small amount of snow can coat the ground around Salt Lake City.
Rain is in the offing in coastal Washington from Bellingham to Seattle and Tacoma and southward to Portland, Ore. Mostly rain showers are likely around The Dalles and Pendleton, Ore.
During Sunday into Monday, some snow will swing out over the northern and central Plains to the Upper Midwest. Only spotty snow is forecast in these areas, but gusty winds may cause some problems for travelers on I-90 and I-94.
The storm will bring a fresh dose of snow for ski resorts in the Rockies that will be open for the Thanksgiving weekend.
The storm will usher in a new wave of cold air from the northern Plains to the East next week.
Despite indications from earlier this past week, it now appears the brutally cold air will stay north of the Canada border. However, the new cold wave will still have a bite in the Central and Eastern United States, shaving temperatures by 20 to 30 degrees from weekend highs.
Thumbnail image shows a snow-covered Snoqualmie Pass at Price Creek Saturday morning. Image is courtesy of the Washington Department of Transportation.