The same storm system bringing torrential rainfall to coastal areas of the Northwest and heavy snow to the Cascades through Tuesday night will deliver a fresh blanket of snow to ski resorts across the Rockies during the middle of the week.
Before the storm reaches the Rockies, between 6 and 12 inches of snow will accumulate in the Washington Cascades and Bitterroots of northern Idaho through Tuesday night.
As the snow streaks into the Rockies on Wednesday, accumulating snow will be confined to the ski resort areas and higher elevations.
The reason that any significant amount of snow will fail to reach lower valley locations is because the storm will be splitting into two pieces as it moves eastward.
The first piece will move into central Canada by Thursday, while the second piece diving into the southern Plains spawns the storm system expected to bring milder air and soaking rain to the southern and eastern United States late in the week.
In addition, gusty, westerly winds will shred the snow apart as it tries to move off the mountains and into the valleys.
Thus, Denver and Billings, Havre and Great Falls, Montana, should only receive a few snow flurries while less than an inch of snow falls in Salt Lake City and Boise, Idaho.
“Despite the lower snowfall amounts, gusty winds will lead to blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility at times,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun warned.
Wind gusts as high as 50-60 mph will be possible in the highest elevations and mountain passes from Tuesday night through Wednesday night.
Rathbun added that the highest snowfall amounts are expected to occur across Yellowstone National Park in northwestern Wyoming, where 6 or more inches are possible.
Although the snow will create slick roadways and cause slippery travel for motorists venturing out across the region, ski resorts in the mountains of Colorado and Utah suffering from below-normal snowpack will welcome any snow that can give a boost to the industry.
“Additional rounds of snow will be possible into next week as several storms are expected to move into the Pacific Northwest and through the northern Rockies,” Rathbun said.