Next System Set to Bring Snow to Mountain West, High Plains

Quincy Vagell
Published: November 8,2015

Following up a snowy start to November across parts of the West, another round of early season snow is taking aim at much of the region.
This next system is developing just in time to start this week and, as it progresses east, the threat may shift from snow to severe weather across parts of the Plains and Midwest.

Setup for Western Snow

(MORE: Severe Weather Outbreak Possible on Wednesday)
A dip in the jet stream is setting the stage for cold air to filter south into the Pacific Northwest.

Latest Radar

With a cold front sweeping south and east, rain and mountain snow are expected in northern California, Oregon and Washington.
Moisture is somewhat limited with this system, so prolific snowfall amounts are not expected. Still, portions of the Sierra Nevada and Cascades may wind up with a foot of new snowfall over the next few days.
Farther east, while precipitation amounts may be somewhat more modest, a large swath of plowable snow is expected across much of the Rockies. Some of this snow will also make it into the Front Range of Colorado and Wyoming and the adjacent High Plains of western Nebraska. Strong winds could combine with the snow to produce low visibility and dangerous travel conditions.
By midweek, most of the moisture will have been wrung out across the High Plains as low pressure develops over the central Plains. It is by this point that the focus shifts to the eastern Plains and Midwest for heavy rain and thunderstorms, as low pressure develops and ejects toward the Great Lakes.

Breaking Down the Forecast

While some of the highest elevations in the West will see a touch of snow into early Monday morning, it is not until the start of the work week that a substantial area of cold air supports more widespread snowfall.

Monday

Monday's Forecast

As the cold front reaches the Intermountain West, locally heavy snow is likely across the Sierra Nevada and portions of the Cascades. Cold air may also support some heavy, wet snow over the Columbia Plateau of Oregon.
Chilly rain is expected across the lower elevations of central to northern California, where San Francisco may not get above the 50s for high temperatures.
Farther east, snow begins to accumulate across the Northern Rockies, as snow or rain changing to snow moves across much of Idaho and western Montana.
Snow is also in the cards across the central Great Basin, including much of Nevada, and will spread east into Utah and western Wyoming. Salt Lake City could see a mixture of rain and snow by Monday night.
(Cities: Boise | Elko | San Francisco)

Tuesday

Tuesday's Forecast

Precipitation comes to an end across the West Coast, but moisture spreads across the northern Rockies and Four Corners region.
Some of the heaviest snow is targeting Utah, the Idaho and the central Rockies of western Colorado. Snow may also extend south into the higher terrain of Arizona, where Flagstaff is in line for some fresh powder.
Cold air makes its presence felt with widespread high temperatures in the 30s and 40s from the Intermountain West to the Front Range.
By Tuesday night, a mixture of rain and snow will move into parts of eastern Colorado, eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska. The Denver metro area could see some accumulating snow during the overnight hours of Tuesday into early Wednesday. Strong winds will also develop, leading to low visibility and dangerous travel conditions.
(Cities: Butte | Flagstaff | Salt Lake City)

Wednesday

Wednesday's Forecast

As a dip in the jet stream pivots east, low pressure ejects across the central Plains and into the Missouri Valley.
Snow lingers across parts of eastern Colorado and the High Plains of Nebraska and northwest Kansas. Strong winds will also continue, leading to blowing snow.
Whatever is left of the snow is expected to wind down during the morning over the central to northern High Plains, including portions of the western Dakotas.
As low pressure intensifies, warmer air will drive north into the Missouri Valley, meaning the east-central Plains and Upper Midwest will be warm enough for mainly rain.
Thunderstorm activity, some of which may be severe, is also in the forecast for parts of that area.
(Cities: Denver | North Platte | Omaha)

Snowfall Forecast Through Wednesday

Snow, Much-Needed for California, Rest of West

Much of the West Coast has been plagued with persistent drought conditions with California feeling the brunt of the lack of precipitation.
Snowpack is critical to water replenishment in the West, but snow-water levels have been on the decline over the past few years. With less snow to melt and feed downstream, reservoir levels have been steadily on the decline, particularly over central California.
(MORE: Snow Helpful to Ease Drought Concerns)
Storm systems that bring mountain snow and valley rain to the West, but not too much at once, are a great way to slowly but surely chip away at the drought.
Such a storm kicked off the month this past week and the upcoming storm is looking quite similar. With precipitation not expected to be overly heavy, flooding concerns are kept at a minimum.
Should the trend continue with these types of systems through the coming weeks and months, further drought improvement may be on the horizon for an area that desperately needs it.
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