Winter Storm Echo will spread locally heavy snow through Wednesday across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest. Echo's snow will taper off in the Rockies Tuesday night after dumping locally more than two feet on the region and causing major travel headaches for the Denver area.
(MORE: Science Behind Naming Winter Storms)
NOAA's National Weather Service has posted numerous winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories throughout the Rockies and into portions of the central and northern Plains.
(MORE: Latest News on Echo's Impacts)
Winter Weather Alerts
Forecast: Snow Exits Rockies, Blankets Plains
Current Radar
While there will be some areas of blowing snow, widespread blizzard conditions are not anticipated. Still, conditions have been harsh enough to close several stretches of major highways in Wyoming.
(INTERACTIVE: Driving Forecast)
Snow will continue across parts of the northern and central Plains states Tuesday night and into Wednesday. This includes parts of eastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana to Nebraska, the Dakotas and western/northern Minnesota.
Travel should be avoided Tuesday night on Interstates 29, 80, 90 and 94 in the above-mentioned states.
Tuesday Night's Forecast
Wednesday's Forecast
(MAPS: 10-Day Forecast)
Snowfall totals east of the Rockies could exceed 6 inches in parts of the Dakotas and northern and western Minnesota.
This snow swath will leave out such cities as Minneapolis and Omaha.
Snow Forecast Through Wednesday Night
Despite that, travel conditions will still be potentially dangerous and roads may be closed. Travelers are advised to check weather and road conditions before attempting to travel in this region.
Echo Storm Reports So Far
Winter Storm Echo Snowfall Totals
During the weekend, Echo dumped up to 20 inches of snow on Oregon's Mount Bachelor Ski Area, and 16 inches of snow fell near La Pine, Oregon.
Even elevations as low as 2,000 feet had reported 6 to 8 inches both east and west of Medford, Oregon, early Sunday.
Webcams from both the California and Oregon DOT showed that the snow impacted travel Sunday on Interstate 5 in southern Oregon and northern California. Caltrans closed the northbound lanes of I-5 from Yreka, California, to the Oregon state line for a time Sunday afternoon. Several mountain roads were also closed in southwest Oregon due to heavy snow, falling trees and near-blizzard conditions.
There was also significant rainfall in southwest Oregon and northwest California's lower elevations, which triggered some additional flooding. Floodwaters reportedly entered homes Sunday morning near Shady Cove, Oregon, near White City, Oregon, and near Eagle Point, Oregon.
In California's Sierra Nevada, as much as 24 inches fell at the summit of Sugar Bowl Ski Resort. In the southern Sierra Nevada, Lodgepole reported 9 inches of snow.
Nevada:
On the Nevada side of the Sierra Nevada, Mount Rose Ski Area received 20 inches of snow. Up to 24 inches of snow was recorded just northeast of Incline Village at an elevation of 6,700 feet.
An estimated 33 inches of snow fell on an automated snow sensor at Smith Creek (elevation 7,600 feet) in Elko County.
Idaho:
An estimated 26.3 inches of snow has been estimated from Echo at Atlanta summit (elevation 7,580 feet) in the Sawtooth Mountains. Two other locations have seen an estimated 20 inches of snow.
Elsewhere, McCall picked up 17 inches, Bogus Basin Ski Area saw 15 inches, and an observer just east of Pocatello measured 9 inches of snow.
Montana:
Jefferson City, south of the state capital of Helena, picked up a whopping 31.1 inches of snow as of Tuesday morning. Lost Trail Ski Resort measured 21 inches from Saturday night through Sunday night. Helena had seen up to 7.5 inches as of 9:30 a.m. MST Monday.
Utah:
Up to 22 inches of snow fell in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, with officially 9.5 inches at Salt Lake City International Airport Sunday through Tuesday. The top total in the Salt Lake Valley was 22.2 inches in Sandy as of Tuesday evening.
This is Salt Lake City's heaviest snowstorm in almost three years, since a snowstorm dumped 9.9 inches at the airport on Jan. 27-28, 2013. By contrast, last season brought the second-lowest seasonal snowfall total on record in the Utah capital, with only 15.4 inches total.
To the north of Salt Lake City, Bountiful reported 28.4 inches in the benches, the local term for areas a few hundred feet above the valley floor along the western edge of the Wasatch Mountains.
In the mountains themselves, 31 inches of snow fell at Snowbird (elevation 8,100) feet, and up to 29 inches fell on the Alta area.
Arizona:
Jacob Lake received 12 inches from Echo, while Flagstaff picked up 6.6 inches.
Winter Storm Echo Snowfall Reports
Wolf Creek Ski Area in southwest Colorado came in with the state's top total of 23 inches as of Tuesday morning. A foot of snow blanketed an area near Steamboat Springs.
As of 5 p.m. MST Tuesday, Denver International Airport reported 7.7 inches of snowfall from Winter Storm Echo. Several locations in the city limits closer to downtown reported up to 10 inches. In the foothills just west of Denver, Genesee chimed in with 14 inches by Tuesday afternoon.
Drifts to 2.5 feet were observed in Loveland.
Snow fell at the rate of at least 1 inch per hour in Colorado Springs Tuesday morning.
Wyoming:
In northwest Wyoming, Jackson reported up to 10.5 inches of snow, while 5 inches of snow piled up to the east in Cody.
Farther south, Centennial checked in with 13 inches. Five inches of snow with drifts of 2 feet or more were reported about 10 miles north of Cheyenne.
Nebraska:
Snow quickly piled up in the Panhandle during the day Tuesday. By mid-afternoon, both Scottsbluff and neighboring Gering reported 8 inches, while Alliance had 8.5 inches and Melbeta topped them all with 9 inches.
South Dakota:
Snow arrived in the Mount Rushmore State Tuesday, amounting to 7 inches near Pine Ridge by afternoon.
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