48 hour forecast as of noon on 12/20. Photo: NOAA
It’s been an interesting winter snow season here in the West. After a very strong, very early start with heavy snow due to an Atmospheric River in late October, the snow dried up, basically until mid-December. From then on, it’s been pretty non-stop action, and it looks set to continue until the new year with multiple storms forecasted to deliver a white Christmas from Mammoth Mountain all the way up to Whistler in Canada.
Powderchasers reports that Whistler just received around 18 inches of fresh snow, as did the Cascade Range in Washington. However, Washington saw a quick spike in temperatures on Saturday, going from 16 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, that was a cause of concern for avalanche conditions and snow quality overall. For resort skiers and riders – not to worry, as incoming storm systems are almost certain to move in and cover things up with a few layers of fluff. As for those interested in the backcountry, pay attention to reports as that warm layer could produce significant avalanche potential. The same mostly holds true for snow forecasts in Oregon, although looking forward Oregon is supposed to see slightly more snow totals than Washington due to storms that will develop in the northern Oregon mountains before moving north, possibly as far as Stevens Pass, Wash.
As for the Sierras, I was stoked to see the amount of snow that just landed. Over the past week, six feet of snow or more hit resorts like Palisades Tahoe. And starting Tuesday evening, we should see even more snowfall, starting a bit on the wetter side but getting cold and fluffy by the end of the week. There’s the potential for 2-4 feet by Friday, and up to five feet of snow over the weekend. And with temps in the low 20s all weekend, that snow will likely be high quality for Christmas.
However, the storms forecasted to bring all that snow over the Christmas weekend are set to bring some wind, as well as dangerous driving conditions. NWS Reno predicts it could be “difficult to impossible” to travel through the Sierra at times during the holiday week/weekend. Powder-chase with care.
Very active storm pattern expected to impact travel during the busy holiday week.
Travel could be very difficult to impossible at times over the Sierra through the week, with significant impacts possible in western Nevada valleys by Christmas Eve. #NVwx #CAwx #Snow pic.twitter.com/7dX9zQYBlE
— NWS Reno (@NWSReno) December 19, 2021
If you’re thinking about getting out into the backcountry this winter, be sure to check out Inspire Courses latest mountain-oriented offering, Backcountry Basics and Avalanche Awareness with instruction from iconic snowboarder Nick Russel and avvy expert Sam Thackeray.
