On Valentine’s Day 2019, the Town of Jackson Wyoming broke their February snowfall record with a total of 35.3 inches recorded for the month. The old snowfall record for February was 33 inches, for the entire month, in 1978.

Add to that another 3 inches of snow recorded at the Jackson Climate Station on Friday morning Feb. 15th, and the monthly total now stands at 38.3 inches. With this month only half over!

Chasing the All-Time Record Snowfall

With two weeks left in the month, we are now chasing the next record in line, the second snowiest month ever recorded in Jackson of 48.3 inches in January of 1967. Behind that was the 47.5 inches of snowfall in December of 2008 (the snowiest December ever recorded in town).

After that,  the all-time record snowiest month in town was in January 1969, with 56 inches of snow in one month.

Mountain Snowfall Impressive Too

At the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, the Rendezvous Bowl weather station at 9,580-ft., has recorded 97 inches of snowfall during the first two weeks of February this year (between Feb 1st & 14th, 2019). That is also a record for that time period.

The old record snowfall at Rendezvous Bowl for the first two weeks of February was 92 inches, in February 2017.

This is what it’s been like at JHMR this February, day after day……
CLICK to View Video

The record snowfall for the month of February in Rendezvous Bowl is 149 inches, also from 2017.

I guess we’re chasing that number now the rest of February 2019!

Post by meteorologist Jim Woodmencey

The next round of storms, already moving into the Western United States, with BIG snowfall amounts on tap from the Sierras to the Rockies the next 2 to 3 days.

What’s developing is a Low-pressure center on the West Coast that will combine forces with another Low in the Gulf of Alaska.

Satellite view below shows those Lows, plus the “pineapple” connection on the Satellite image below. Yellow line is the jet stream flow, bringing subtropical moisture from just south of Hawaii to the West Coast.

Computer model map below shows snowfall totals from Wednesday morning February 13th to Friday morning February 15th.

NAM model Snow Accumulation thru Friday morning, Feb. 15.

Measuring in feet of snow….again!

Feet of snow again for the High Sierra. The difference from the many feet that have already fallen since the Groundhog’s Day Weekend, is that snow levels will higher in the Sierras, as temperatures warm through the storm. Rising above the 6000-ft. elevation initially, then cooling temps lower snow levels by Friday.

In the Rockies, it will be all snow at elevations above @ 5000-ft. temperatures will get warmest on Thursday, then cool again Friday into Saturday.

A Snowy February 2019

Turning into a very snowy February, and we are only halfway through the month.

For instance, Jackson, Wyoming (where I live) is about to break their snowfall record for the month of February! More on that later…..

Post by meteorologist Jim Woodmencey

Groundhog’s Day Weekend 2019 looks like it will be a snowy one for the mountains of the Western United States…measured in feet of accumulation in some places!

Three separate Low-pressure centers will develop and combine to give the weekend a one-two-three punch, beginning in the Sierra Nevada mountains Friday night, February 1st, extending inland to the Rockies beginning later Saturday, February 2nd, and continuing to snow across the Western U.S. thru Monday, February 4th.

BIG SNOW LOCATIONS

This combo of storm systems will accumulate decent snowfall, especially for some parts of the Sierra, exceeding 5 feet!

The mountains of Northwest Wyoming should do well, with 15 to 20 inches in the Tetons, 2 feet or more in parts of Yellowstone Park and in the Wind River mountains.

Below is the NAM model prediction, from NexLab:

Below is the CAIC forecast snowfall accumulation for Friday afternoon thru Monday afternoon, Feb. 1 to 4, 2019 and it is just as robust as the NAM with the snow accumulation thru the weekend.

Happy Groundhog’s Day, the official halfway point of the winter season!

Post by Meteorologist Jim Woodmencey

Friday Jan. 18, 2019

The Low-pressure center that brought good snowfall across the mountain of the Western U.S the last couple of days has moved east into the Plains States.  A Ridge of High pressure is now building along the West Coast today, and that Ridge will move east across the Rockies over the Martin Luther King Holiday Weekend.

This will result in a Northwesterly flow over the northern Rockies Saturday. Then transitioning to a Southwesterly flow Sunday, ahead of a small upper level disturbance. See Jet Stream (@35,000-ft.) loop below for Friday thru Monday.

Saturday-Monday, Jan. 19-21, 2019

Temperatures in the Rockies will warm aloft as that Ridge builds inland Saturday. Some rain mixing with snow at lower elevations. Best snowfall accumulations look to be Saturday night thru Sunday, for Sierras, then the Ridge shifts east of the Rockies and colder air returns Sunday-Monday, with best snowfall for Rockies.

SNOWFALL FORECAST MAPS

The Sierra Nevada mountains & the Rockies get some snow from the NW flow & then the WSW flow ahead of  the next disturbance moving in from the Pacific. Models vary in the total amounts for different geographic areas…….

For Example: In the Teton Range of Western Wyoming the NAM shows 10 to 15 inches of accumulation thru the MLK Weekend, whereas, the WRF show much more, 20 to 24 inches.

This flip-flops for the Sierra Nevada Range in California, where the WRF shows 10 to 15 in, the NAM has much more, >24 in.!!

Go figure? Which model will be correct? (See maps below to compare).

By the way, the storm that is exiting the Rockies today will be bringing snow to the mountains of New England later this MLK Weekend.

Forecast Snowfall Accumulation from NAM model below:

Forecast Snowfall Accumulation from CAIC-WRF model below:

Have a great weekend!

Post by meteorologist Jim Woodmencey

A Low pressure center on the West Coast has been spinning moisture over both Northern & Southern California the last couple of days. Now it is rotating some of that moisture inland in a stronger Southwesterly flow aloft.

That Low is helping to break down the High pressure that has been parked over the interior of the Western U.S. for the last week.

As this Low-pressure moves inland today (Wednesday) & Thursday it will weaken and be followed by a Ridge of High pressure that will build over the far Western U.S. by later Friday & for Saturday.

SNOWFALL POTENTIAL

The Sierra Nevada Mountains will benefit the most from this storm the next two days. Maps below are from two different computer models, showing 3 to 5 feet of snow accumulation between Wednesday morning and Friday morning (Jan. 16 to 18).

• Sierra Nevada Range will accumulate 3 to 5+ feet.
• Wasatch mountains of Utah could see 1 to 2 feet.
• Teton Range looks to pick up 8 to 10 inches.
• San Juan mountains in Colorado 8 to 12 inches possible.

Another snowfall forecast model below, from the CAIC in Colorado shows a similar picture, for roughly the same time period, Wednesday to Friday morning. This one might have  a little more in certain places than than the NAM.

Good timing for Skiing & Boarding just ahead of the Martin Luther King Weekend!

Post by meteorologist Jim Woodmencey

The big, strong Ridge of High pressure that has been parked over the interior of the Western United States this first week of  the New Year will finally be breaking down today and that will open the door to some Pacific moisture to move inland Sunday & Monday, January 6 & 7, 2019.

Sunday: Warmer Southwest Flow

A moderately strong and moist Southwesterly flow will extend from the West Coast to the Rockies Saturday night into Sunday morning. That flow is out ahead of a weakening Trof of Low pressure that is currently sitting along the West Coast.

That SW flow will be warming temps at all elevations, as valley inversions, like we have seen in Jackson Hole all week, will finally be broken. Snowfall beginning Saturday night and into Monday afternoon across the Northern Rockies.

Snow accumulation from Saturday night Sunday afternoon on map below.

Monday: Cooler Westerly Flow

A stronger Westerly flow will bring a little more moisture inland late Sunday into early Monday. That will bring another shot of Pacific moisture, along with cooler temps aloft….like single digits at 10,000-ft. on Monday.

Total snow accumulation, Saturday night thru Monday afternoon on map below.

USA Snow Accumulation Saturday thru Monday, in video loop below.

Bottom Line is:

The Sierra Nevada range will do best with this weather pattern this weekend, with 2 feet or more at the higher elevations. The Cascades of WA & OR will also do pretty good.

The Tetons & Wind River Ranges in WY , the Wasatch & Bear River ranges in UT & the San Juan mountains of SW CO do good too, with a foot or more of new snow accumulation by end of day Monday.

Back to a weaker, Ridge of high pressure on Tuesday, the way it looks right now.

Post by meteorologist Jim Woodmencey