The Weather Prediction Center
College Park, MD
Storm Summary Message
Storm Summary Number 3 for Rockies and Western U.S. Heavy Snow
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
100 PM PST Sun Dec 26 2021
...Widespread, moderate to heavy snow continues for the mountain
ranges of the West as well as the lowlands of the Pacific
Northwest as bitterly cold air overspreads the Northwest...
Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect
for portions of the Pacific Northwest, California, the Great
Basin, the Northern and Central Rockies, the Northern Plains, and
the Upper Midwest.
Wind Chill Warnings and Advisories are in effect for portions of
central Washington and northern Montana.
High Wind Warnings and Wind Advisories are in effect for portions
of the Great Basin, the Southwest, the Central and Southern
Rockies, and the High Plains.
Winter Storm Watches are in effect for the mountain ranges of
southern California.
For a detailed graphical depiction of the latest watches, warnings
and advisories, please see www.weather.gov
At 1200 PM PST...The axis of a deep upper-level trough continued
to move eastward over the Pacific Northwest as multiple mid-level
shortwaves rounded the base of the trough. At the surface, a
complex surface pattern was analyzed across the western half of
the country exhibiting multiple waves of low pressure along two
surface fronts. The first, stationary front extended across
central Washington, meandering southeastward through the Northern
Rockies and into the Central Plains. A long-lived stationary
surface trough also extended southward along the coast of the
Pacific Northwest. Surface observations indicated a bitterly cold
arctic airmass to the north of this front, with temperature
readings below zero in Montana and in the single digits and teens
elsewhere. A second cold front extended southwestward from an area
of low pressure in Southwest Wyoming through Utah and south
through the Colorado River Valley into Mexico. Radar observations
indicated widespread areas of moderate to heavy snow ongoing
across the region. One such area extended southward ahead of the
surface trough through the Cascades and Coastal Ranges of the
Pacific Northwest, including the lowland areas surrounding Seattle
and Portland. Snowfall was also occurring across various mountain
ranges through the Northern and Central Rockies in the vicinity of
the meandering stationary surface front. In addition, snow
continued to fall across the Wasatch Front of Utah and southern
Idaho behind the surface cold front, and also continued for
portions of the central Great Basin and the northern Sierra
Nevada. Finally, a band of light to moderate snow had begun to the
north of the front over the Northern Plains and Upper Mississippi
Valley.
...Selected preliminary Storm Total Snowfall in inches from 400 AM
PST Wed Dec 22 through 1200 PM PST Sun Dec 26...
...ARIZONA...
ARIZONA SNOWBOWL 3 WSW 10.0
GREER 7 WSW 9.0
SUNRISE PARK 9.0
FOREST LAKES 1 E 8.0
FLAGSTAFF ARPT 6.3
WILLIAMS 3.3 SSE 3.5
...CALIFORNIA...
NORTHSTAR SKI BASE 1 SSW 82.0
MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN SKI BASE 80.0
HOMEWOOD MOUNTAIN SKI BASE 75.0
HEAVENLY SKI BASE 45.0
SOUTH LAKE 6 ESE 30.0
SUSANVILLE 5 WNW 25.0
DOG VALLEY 2 SSE 24.0
LONE PINE 11 SW 24.0
ROUND VALLEY 9 WNW 22.0
TRUCKEE 1.6 N 21.7
LAKE DAVIS 4 SE 11.5
DINSMORE 3 W 10.0
...COLORADO...
TURQUOISE LAKE 6 NNE 34.0
WOLF CREEK PASS 33.0
MOUNT CRESTED BUTTE 4 NNW 22.5
WOLF CREEK PASS 1 SE 20.0
COAL BANK PASS 16.5
CRESTED BUTTE 1.9 NNE 16.0
MONARCH PASS 1 NNW 16.0
MOUNT ZIRKEL 4 SE 16.0
ELKDALE 2 SSW 13.6
FRUITVALE 1 N 13.0
CAMERON PASS 9 SE 12.0
...IDAHO...
FEATHERVILLE 1 S 14.5
HORSHOE BEND 11 SSE 12.0
MEADOWS 6 NE 12.0
HAILEY 11.4
KIMBERLY 9.0
STANLEY 7.9
SPIRIT LAKE 3.6 ESE 7.0
BELLEVUE 0.3 SSE 6.8
AVERY 0.1 S 4.6
BOISE CITY 6.1 SE 2.9
...MONTANA...
COOKE CITY 3 N 12.0
EAST PORTAL 5 NW 11.0
BOZEMAN 1.5 SSE 4.3
...NEVADA...
DIAMOND PEAK SKI BASE 66.0
MT ROSE SKI BASE 22.0
INCLINE VILLAGE 1 NNW 19.0
WHEELER PEAK 18.0
MT. CHARLESTON 1 ESE 16.0
TUSCARORA 6 W 15.0
MIDAS 2 N 11.0
GREAT BASIN NATL PARK 10.5
GRANITE PEAK 10.0
RENO 4.5 S 7.5
...NEW MEXICO...
ARROYO SECO 11 E 16.0
SAN MIGUEL 8 S 14.0
TOADLENA 5 SSW 10.0
SANDIA PARK 4 NW 4.0
...OREGON...
CRATER LAKE 24.0
GOLD HILL 5.4 NNW 19.6
TOLLGATE 14.0
APPLEGATE 8.3 SSW 11.5
CAMP SHERMAN 2 SSW 9.0
ALTURAS 9.5 E 8.3
DALLAS 8.0
OBRIEN 2 SSW 7.0
SPRINGFIELD 3 WSW 7.0
FOREST GROVE 6.0
KLAMATH FALLS 4 WSW 5.5
WEST SALEM 1 SW 4.5
...UTAH...
HERBER CITY 10.1 ESE 11.0
FAIRVIEW 10.0
ALTA 9.5
POWDER MOUNTAIN 8.0
SPRINGDELL 8.0
PARK CITY 7.0
...WASHINGTON...
EASTON 36.0
SNOQUALMIE PASS 2.6 SSE 18.5
PORT ANGELES 3 SW 16.0
LUCERNE 9 W 12.0
MOUNT VERNON 6 E 12.0
STEVENS PASS 10.0
BELLINGHAM 9.5
ELK 6.3 NE 9.5
TROUT LAKE 8.8
LUCERNE 8.6 W 8.0
WHITE SALMON 4 ENE 8.0
TIGER 7 WSW 7.5
SEATTLE 3 WNW 4.0
SPOKANE 3.5 NNW 2.0
...WYOMING...
SUGAR LOAF CAMPGROUND 16.5
BATTLE LAKE 2 E 15.0
WHISKEY PARK 1 NW 14.4
...Selected preliminary Storm Total Rainfall in inches from 400 AM
PST Wed Dec 22 through 1200 PM PST Sun Dec 26...
...ARIZONA...
PRESCOTT 0.8 WSW 2.96
MEADVIEW 21 SE 2.80
WASHINGTON PEAK 2 S 2.80
MUNDS PARK 0.3 ESE 2.72
GLOBE 5.6 S 2.64
FOREST LAKES 6.1 E 2.36
BLACK ROCK 2.33
PAYSON 1 E 2.27
MT. TRUMBULL 1 WSW 2.22
GREER 13.4 W 2.19
QUEEN CREEK 2.08
WILLIAMS 0.4 SW 2.05
FLAGSTAFF AIRPORT 1.68
...CALIFORNIA...
DOWNIEVILLE 9.52
LYTLE CREEK 2 WSW 7.66
PORTABLE 7.08
ARNOLD 6.77
BOWMAN LAKE 6.62
BIG BEAR LAKE 1 E 6.03
MT SAN JACINTO 1 S 6.03
KYBURZ 8.3 N 5.99
PALOMAR MOUNTAIN 3 NNE 5.89
STRAWBERRY VALLEY 5.80
OAK VIEW 0.7 NE 4.96
GOLETA 3.7 WNW 4.52
INDEPENDENCE 0.2 NNW 2.57
YUCCA VALLEY 2.7 NW 2.23
...NEVADA...
MT CHARLESTON 6.26
KYLE CANYON 4.05
LAS VEGAS 1.99
CALIENTE 14.6 SE 1.20
Over the next several days, the upper-level trough over the West
is expected to progress slowly east, with multiple disturbances
rounding the the larger-scale system into the week encouraging
additional rounds of snow. At the surface, one such system will
better organize across the High Plains through Sunday night and
move northeastward into the Northern Plains and Midwest through
Monday bringing additional moderate to heavy snow. Further west,
the stationary front will remain across the Pacific Northwest
keeping the cold air mass in place across the region as periods of
moderate lowland snow and heavy mountain snow continue. Finally,
another system will organize over northern California and the
Great Basin and push southeastward. This will lead to additional
snow for the Sierra Nevada and mountain ranges of southern
California east through the Great Basin Monday and into northern
Arizona and the Central Rockies by Tuesday. Travel will remain
dangerous and is discouraged as the heavy snow, cold temperatures,
and high winds continue, especially along mountain passes where
long duration closures are likely. Dangerous avalanches are also
likely in the Sierra Nevada, Washington Cascades, Northern
Rockies, and Wasatch.
The next Storm Summary will be issued by the Weather Prediction
Center at 100 PM PST Mon Dec 27 2021. Please refer to your local
National Weather Service office for additional information on this
event.
Putnam
Last Updated: 359 PM EST SUN DEC 26 2021