Winter Conditions Expected in the Western U.S. Over the Coming Days

Posted: October 31, 2022 12:59 pm

Many parts of the West have had a dry onset to the fall season. However, as the beginning of the wet season draws closer, a change in the weather is expected to bring precipitation. Snowy conditions in the mountains and generally a general coldness might start prevailing.

Since the middle of September, the western United States has had a fall season that has begun with a lack of precipitation than usual. The dry weather has stretched from Seattle with only about 1.76 inches of rainfall, which is roughly 40% of normal. It extends to Sacramento, California, which has had only 0.28 inches of precipitation in the same period, which is a measly 36% of the normal.

Based on the most recent information provided by the United States Drought Monitor, the whole state of Washington and over 99 percent of the state of Oregon are both experiencing circumstances that can be characterized as “extremely dry.”

The excessively dry circumstances are expected to cease in the near future. The meteorologists noted this at AccuWeather, who added that these patterns resulted from a shift in the way the weather pattern typically behaves. The winter will begin with the upcoming storm.

A storm and a dip in the jet stream moving into the Northwest on Monday will lay the setting for successive waves of storms to surge through the region. On Monday, sections of Oregon and Washington will see increasingly rainy conditions. Besides, these areas will continue to be impacted by wet weather throughout the day on Tuesday.

Rain is forecast to fall in a number of the mountain peaks until cool air hits. Nonetheless, campers and hikers should still come prepared for the cold and wet weather.

According to a forecast given by an AccuWeather analyst named Haley Taylor, “After the first wave of precipitation, the approaching storm will pave the way for a plethora of colder air to pour into the area. This will allow several locations to have their coldest temperatures thus far this year.”

Taylor went on to say that temperatures are anticipated to be between 5 and 10 degrees under normal for Tuesday and Wednesday. She added that big cities like Portland and Seattle could struggle to hit the upper 40s.

The western United States is forecast to have falling snow levels from Monday night through Wednesday, which will cause rain to turn into snow in portions of the hilly terrain. This weather pattern is predicted to continue until Friday.

It is expected that snow could accumulate at or even slightly beneath pass level in Washington, which would make driving conditions challenging for vehicles in those places. Most snowfall is expected to fall during the overnight hours of Monday and Tuesday.

“If the cyclone ends up plunging deep enough south, higher elevations in Southern California may get chilly enough to witness their first snowflakes Wednesday night,” added Taylor. “This is only a possibility if the storms end up moving farther south than originally anticipated.”

The onset of precipitation, whether in the form of snow or rain, will bring an increase in moisture. This will assist in alleviating the prolonged drought that has persisted throughout the region. The entire state of California is experiencing drought conditions of some severity. Indeed, nearly all of the state is in a moderate drought while others are worse.

At the same time, nearly all of the state is in an extreme drought, exceptional drought, or severe drought. Since more than forty percent of California is currently experiencing exceptional drought conditions, the Golden State has a critical need for precipitation in the form of snow or rains in the state’s higher elevations.

At this point, the most likely outcome is that the moisture will make its way into the central Rocky mountains. However, this is likely to happen on Wednesday or Thursday. Further, there are still some uncertainties regarding the precise path that the moisture will take during the mid-week. However, this is currently the most probable scenario.

According to Taylor, “Snow stockpiles are likely to remain in the higher altitudes of the Rockies” as opposed to large towns like Salt Lake City or Denver because of the mountains’ higher altitudes. It is possible for as much as a 1⁄2 foot of snow to fall in the foothills of Salt Lake City or Denver. But the temperatures in these urban areas are likely to be excessively high for beyond a few flakes of snow to fall.

Even though the snow is expected to accumulate primarily at higher elevations, many people are looking forward to it. The snow will offer an advantageous wave of early-season snow for the area’s holiday destinations. It will help mitigate any drought conditions that may still be present.

This snowfall would follow on the heels of some wintry conditions that had been present in Colorado only a few days prior. On Thursday, snowflakes could be seen flying across a large portion of the state. For some areas, an inch of new snow covered the unpaved surfaces. Denver had its first snowfall of the year that could be measured.

The group of long-range weather forecasters at AccuWeather anticipates the ongoing pattern of low temperatures. Besides, stormy weather in the Northwest will continue until the beginning of November. Nevertheless, there are a few signs that the gulf stream will move further north during the entire initial week of the month of November. In the event that this transpires, the region will no longer be subject to a continuous barrage of storms.

Because the traditionally wet season throughout the West has just begun, there is a chance that the region may experience significantly more precipitation over the next few months, including snow and rain. Forecasters are of the opinion that long-term advantages should be able to outweigh any possible hazards associated with flooding, provided that significant precipitation does not fall at once.

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