Dec 16, 2024
Daily Snow Stakes
All Snow thru 12-24, Alberta/BC Canada thru 12-27, All Snow Let It Go thru 1-1,
Click to Animate
NWS 2-Day Totals PNW, Tahoe
10-Day Total Snow
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If you are new to FutureSnow check out this page using the link in purple. It will help to explain some of the terminology you will be reading on our blog, along with our methodology using the Cycling Weather Pattern.
Summary
The Pacific Northwest and Canada is the place to be during the Ridge, or northwest flow pattern, we discussed yesterday. Another 4-8 today for the southern Cascades with 6-12 expected tonight for Mt Hood, Mt Bachelor and Hoodoo. The northern Cascades will come in a little lower, but still respectable 3-6 today and 4-8 tonight for Crystal Mountain–Stevens, Mt Baker and Snoqualmie about 2-4 today and 2-4 tonight.
The storm hitting the PNW today moves into British Columbia and Alberta late tomorrow and the deep totals begin with 4 storms over the next 9 days for Whistler, Sun Peaks, the Powder Highway resorts and Banff. These storms will track along the Canadian/US border until Christmas Eve when the Ridge of Death retreats to the west, opening the Active Pattern for Utah and Colorado.
Utah and Colorado will have scattered snow showers in the northern and central part of the states. 1-3 expected for Alta and Snowbird with 2-4 Expected for Steamboat, Vail and Winter Park.
Pattern Discussion
The Active Pattern (Series of Pacific Storms), and the Ridge Pattern (Northwest Flow Pattern). I was concerned in late summer that we might have a bad pattern, because we went thru a couple of periods of extended ridging. I was hoping it was a part of the transition to the new pattern and things looked good, until late November, when models began to show the ridge again.
Well, the Ridge Pattern is beginning to fade, and the Active Pattern is showing up on the models again. It is way out, around Dec 26th, but that is what I have been waiting for. Hopefully the trend is out friend, and it continues.
Is it a bad pattern? It depends on your perspective. This is a great pattern for the Pacific Northwest and Canada, so those of you who like to take trips to new places put Canada on your list. There are incredible resorts there and I recommend everyone go to Banff (Lake Louise, Sunshine Village), the Powder Highway resorts (Red Mountain, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse and Panorama) and Whistler Blackcomb.
The Ridge Pattern seems to be good for Lake Tahoe, with the back half of the pattern opens the storm door that they are going through now.
Utah and Colorado is feast or famine–November good, December bad, January good–hopefully. There are a couple of good storms in the Ridge Pattern, but they are spread out. If you ski/ride in the northeast, this pattern is the opposite of Colorado and Utah. Meaning when the Active Pattern begins again, the northeast pattern will likely go dormant.
Thank you for reading the blog and as always if you have any questions, please email me at Mike@FutureSnow.co.
