Northwest, Northern Calif. to See Snowy Start to February
Wintry weather is expected to hit the Pacific Northwest and Upper Rockies as a way to say goodbye to January and hello to February.
A large low pressure system travelling along the northern Pacific Northwest and the Canadian border will produce oodles of snowfall for the Pacific Northwest and Upper Rockies heading into the weekend. This system’s associated front will also impact the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California as well. As such, Winter Weather Advisories, Winter Storm Watches and Warnings are darted across these areas, especially amongst the mountainous elevations. The lower elevations may see more of a rain and snow mix compared to the higher elevations.
The Cascades, Blue Mountains and the Sierra Nevada will see anywhere from 2 to 4 feet of snow by Sunday morning while the Pacific Coast Range stretching from Washington into Oregon and the Kettle Range will see 5 to 10 inches, with 2 to 5 inches as the elevation lowers. Lower elevations in eastern Oregon will see 2 to 5 inches as well.
Heading east, the Rocky Mountains in Idaho, Wyoming and Utah will also see 2 to 4 feet of snow accumulation by Sunday morning with 5 to 10 inches heading into lower elevations. One to 2 feet of snow will also occur in the Rocky Mountains in western Montana with 2 to 5 inches in the lower elevations. Three to 8 inches will occur in the Rockies in Colorado by Sunday morning with isolated amounts exceeding 1 to 2 feet.
The snow will not stop at this weekend as another system is slated to impact the same regions Monday and Tuesday.
If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of emergency. Be sure to have multiple ways to get the latest weather information from local TV, weather radio, or the WeatherBug app.