Pacific Storm Poised to Deliver Rounds of Rain, Snow in West

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

November 4,2015; 10:40PM,EST

 

 

Another large storm is poised to roll into the West with rain, snow and travel disruptions during the second week of November.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Ken Clark, "There is more good news on the way for part of the drought-stricken West starting this weekend and into next week."

"A new storm is poised to move in from the Pacific Ocean and will spread rain and snow as far south as California and as far east as Colorado, Wyoming and Montana," Clark said.
The storm will continue to build the snowpack in the high country and soak the soil at lower elevations of the West.
It will follow the first widespread mountain snow of the season in the West, with totals topping 1 to 2 feet of snow on part of the Sierra Nevada, Wassatch Range and portions of northern Nevada, this week.

More Storms on the Way for Texas and the West

The Pacific storm, which will arrive this weekend, will first send a moderate amount of rain southward along the coasts of Washington, Oregon and northern California during Friday night and Saturday. A soaking is in store for Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and Crescent City, California.
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During Saturday into Monday, the storm will strengthen and move southward along the coast, rounds of rain will ramp up and expand inland, while snow levels will lower from north to south over the Cascades.
The high country in the Cascades could pick up 6-12 inches of snow from the storm. Snow is likely to reach down to the passes in Washington and Oregon. Slushy areas may develop along Interstate 90 through Snoqualmie Pass.
The most likely time for drenching rain and travel delays in San Francisco and Sacramento, California, is on Monday. Gusty winds may also affect the coast of northern California at this time.
The heaviest snow will focus on central and northern Sierra Nevada on Monday into Tuesday. Snowfall in the high country in this area could exceed a foot. Accumulating snow is likely to extend to Donner Pass.
The storm will also turn inland over the West Monday into Wednesday. Snow may fall on lower elevations along I-80 in Nevada.
"How far south, how much snow falls and how low snow levels get over the Sierra Nevada, upper part of the Great Basin and northern and central Rockies will depend on the track of the storm and how much moisture is available," Clark said.

"There is the potential for some locations to be hit with similar or perhaps greater snowfall, when compared to the storm this week, especially north of Southern California, Arizona and New Mexico," Clark said.
For cities such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix, it is a bit too early to say whether the storm will bring significant rain or not from the storm next week.
There is a chance that accumulating snow reaches the Denver metro area during the middle of next week.
The same storm could evolve into a blizzard over part of the northern Plains as it pushes east of the Rockies on Wednesday.