BILLINGS, Mont. – All the winter weather ingredients are coming together for the season’s first snowstorm across the northern Rockies and Plains beginning Tuesday, potentially creating travel delays across the mountain passes.
Over the weekend, the Pacific Northwest received beneficial rain. Now, a parade of storms will bring even more moisture to the drought-plagued region.
FOX Weather meteorologist Amy Freeze explained the setup for the season’s first winter storm:
“A cold front brushing over Canada right now drags down the chilly air. And there’s also a storm strong enough for the season’s first major snow across the northern Rockies,” Freeze said. “Temperatures are going to drop to the freezing level at mountain passes like Snoqualmie, Stevens Pass and White Pass starting Monday night.”
Winter Storm Watches are in place from Tuesday through Thursday for parts of Washington, Montana and Wyoming, where the FOX Forecast Center expects between 7 and 12 inches of snow.
Higher elevations in Montana, including the Crazy Mountains, could see between 10 and 20 inches of snow. Showdown, Montana, will see most of its snowfall from Wednesday into Thursday.
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Later this week, the snow will continue to spread east, dropping the first accumulations of the season in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.
Travel could become problematic with heavy snow impacting commutes on Wednesday and Thursday across the northern Rockies and Plains.
Between 8 and 12 inches of snow is forecast along Snoqualmie and Stampede passes in Washington, with most falling on Tuesday and Wednesday. Stevens Pass is forecast to receive between 16 and 24 inches through Thursday.
The first winter storm will be a good start to Snoqualmie Pass snow totals, which received 233 inches of snow last year.
“It is going to be the passes that we’re watching when we look at the routes that you can take in Washington, Oregon,” FOX Weather meteorologist Stephen Morgan said.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, snow is in the forecast every day this week for the Cascade Mountain range, including the mountain passes.
With the first snow of the season, now is the time to ensure your vehicle is winter-ready. Motorists should assemble a winter survival kit and prepare for winter driving conditions, including possible icy roads.
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It will be a soggy, cold week for those in the lower elevations of the Pacific Northwest, with up to 2 inches of rain forecast along coastal Washington and Oregon.
Temperatures in Seattle through Wednesday will be in the 40s, with rain in the forecast throughout the day on Tuesday.
Temperatures will drop to the single digits by midweek for Bozeman and Billings in Montana and into the teens for the Dakotas by this weekend.
With the single-digit wind chills, places like Bismarck, North Dakota, will be bitterly cold.
It’s possible the snow could be sticking around through Halloween weekend, with temperatures remaining below freezing across the region into next week.