After a rather calm stretch of weather lately, winter is looking to make a comeback in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies early next week with a blast of arctic air and periods of heavy rain and snow.
The impacts kick off Sunday with snow falling across western Montana and northwestern Wyoming, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
About 1 to 3 inches of snow can be expected across the higher elevations of western Montana and Idaho, with increasing totals as you go up and elevation.
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For Seattle and Portland, Oregon, it’ll lead to rainy commutes on Monday, while cross-mountain travel may be difficult in the Cascades due to heavy snow. Accumulations could reach over 8 inches in the Cascades and northern Rockies, with over a foot of snow possible on the highest peaks.
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Snow levels drop on Tuesday as colder air filters into the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies, with snow showers likely across eastern Washington, Oregon and much of Idaho and Montana.
Chilly rain showers are expected in the Interstate 5 corridor, but rain may switch over to snow showers by late Tuesday or Wednesday, even in the lowland areas of western Washington and Oregon.
Cold air spreads across the entire West by Wednesday, and widespread snow and rain can be expected from the West Coast to the Rockies, making for difficult to dangerous travel for nearly the entire region.
With the storm still several days away, snowfall totals remain uncertain, but over 12 inches is likely in the higher elevations, while there will be a risk of flooding again in California due to heavy rain from mid- to late next week.
The San Francisco Bay Area could see an inch of rain late next week with wind gusts to 40 mph.