Weekly Update: Western Canada & Japan Are on a Roll

While Europe bathes in bluebird for much of this week, Western Canada & Japan stand in the way of some fruitful winter flow.

WESTERN CANADA/USA

Approaching a 2-metre base throughout much of Western Canada & The Pac NW, resorts are humming at near-mid-season averages, top-to-bottom this week. It’s been a fortnight of back-to-back systems as the last of the onslaught hits the Pac NW tonight before a new cycle of systems arrives Tuesday night, Wednesday morning.

The system arriving tonight is an interesting one as it is drawing in an abundance of moisture. Put simply, it’s your ‘mild’ variety Atmospheric River event, with Oregon and Washington alpine areas in the firing line, set to accumulate 8-12” (20-30cm) by early Monday morning, local time.

There are some indications of 15-20 inches (40-50cm) in high-alpine areas.

A late drawing of moisture on Saturday, out of the Pacific bumps up Pac NW alpine totals to some very-healthy figures by early Monday morning. Source: Alicia Bentley/GFS

NOAA 50th Pecentile (‘middle of the road’ model outputs) snow accumulations to Monday afternoon local. Source: NOAA/NCEP

Whitewater, BC at 16:30 hrs Saturday looking dark and frigid ahead of peak snowfalls tonight. Expected to accumulate falls of 10-15cm of snow.

The brief clearing trend will be shortlived as the persistent (albeit light) onshore flow offers light-to-moderate precip throughout Monday/Tuesday as the attention shifts to the interior US/Rockies.

Central Rockies are expected to receive 10-15 inches (25-40cm) by Monday morning locally, with a. subsequent system pushing through on Wednesday evening.

The European models upper level resolve for the next 72 hours to Tuesday midday (Pac NW local time). Source: weathermodels.com/ECMWF