Winter finally has some momentum - and this weekend is the real deal.
Mother Nature is not messing around. After a slow start for some regions, a powerful stretch of storms is lining up for the Rockies, Pacific Northwest, and Canada, delivering heavy snow through this weekend and into early next week.
Meanwhile, the East will stay cold, but not particularly snowy - at least not at the moment. Let’s break it down.
Short-Term Setup: Storms, Storms… and More Storms
A northwest-flow storm track (storms moving NW → SE) is fully in place, and it’s about to unload. The Rockies get first dibs this weekend, followed by an increasingly active pattern for the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada heading into early next week.
Across the Rockies and the Northwest, total snowfall over the next 5 days will generally range from:
Ski Areas Favored for the Deepest Snow:
* Grand Targhee (WY)
* Mt. Baker (WA)
* Steamboat (CO)
* Vail (CO)
* Silver Mountain (ID)
* Snowbird (UT)
* Big Sky (MT)
* Revelstoke (BC)
* Whistler (BC)
If you’ve been waiting for the season to “really start”—this is it.
❄️ Quick Forecast for the West & Northwest
* Fri (Dec 5): Storms hit hard - heavy snow across BC, WA, ID, MT, WY, UT, CO.
* Sat (Dec 6): Strong follow-up storm; snow totals climb fast.
* Sun (Dec 7): Focus shifts to BC and WA for big dumps - evening snow returns to the Rockies.
* Mon (Dec 8): Snow lingers in the Rockies; a powerful “atmospheric-river” style storm smacks the Northwest (heavy snow aloft; rain/snow mix possible lower).
* Tue (Dec 9): Continued heavy snow for high terrain in NW + Rockies; lower terrain in Northern Rockies may get rain or mixed precip as warmer air moves in.
Looking Ahead (Dec 10–14)
Expect warmer and drier conditions for California, Utah, and Colorado, with limited new snow. But the Northwest and Western Canada stay in the mix: an active storm track means frequent moisture-laden storms, which could drop significant mid- / high-elevation snow - though milder temps might keep low-eulevation resorts occasionally mixed.
🧊 East: Cold, Quiet… for Now
The Eastern U.S. isn’t in for any blockbuster storms over the next 5 days. Instead, expect a persistently cold pattern, with light snow chances here and there. Think light flurries, scattered snow showers - nothing heavy or sustained - but enough to keep wintery vibes alive.
🏂 What’s Up in the Midwest?
According to recent reports from OpenSnow, the Midwest hasn’t yet seen big early-season dumps, but things are trending toward classic winter-setup. Snowmaking windows have opened at some resorts.
Lake-effect and cold-air setups often power early snow in places like northern Michigan and around the Great Lakes. As the pattern evolves closer to December, there’s cautious optimism among ski areas that Mother Nature may deliver enough natural snow, either to build a base or support snowmaking, for a legitimate early season.
Bottom line for Midwest skiers: it’s not a powder bonanza yet, but there’s enough cold and potential that ski areas should be shaping up soon. Keep an eye on forecasts, and don’t sleep on early snowmaking windows.
✅ What This Means for Skiers & Snow Lovers
* West / Northwest / Canada: If you can travel, go now. It’s shaping up to be a great weekend.
* Midwest: Watch the skies and snow-cams. The cold pattern and lake-effect potential could make for a promising early season, especially as resorts capitalize on snowmaking windows.
* East: Cold, maybe a flurry or two, but don’t expect major accumulation in the next 5 or so days. Brisk, so if you’re getting out there, make sure you’re layered properly and plan on riding through active snowmaking in spots.
Thanks for reading and watching. We’re planning on making the show into a podcast as well. Perfectly consumable in the school pick-up line, while grabbing a coffee or booting up. Check back soon.
-Halley
