Blizzardlike Conditions Could Bring Up to a Foot of Snow to the Western U.S.

Snow from a cold front moving in will start in the higher elevations on Monday and into the night. The first areas to see the snowfall will be the Cascades in Washington and Oregon, the mountains in northern and southeastern Idaho, western Montana, and northwestern Wyoming.

While some areas will see snowfall, the Great Basin to the grasslands of Montana will see mostly rain at first. Regardless, this first event will be the catalyst to dipping temperatures.

More significant snowfall is expected later in the week, and with it, colder air from the Artic regions.

Blizzardlike Conditions Expected

Forecasters warn of a late week snowstorm, trying to give residents of the Western U.S. and Plains enough time to prepare their winter gear. On Tuesday, an area of low pressure will move on shore of the Pacific Northwest, resulting in snow in the Washington Cascades and the Rockies in the evening.

Into Wednesday, between 6-12 inches of snow is expected in this area.

As the snow accumulates and the temperatures drop below freezing, slippery and icy conditions can develop on the roads and sidewalks. Cities such as Billings, Helena, and Missoula, Montana will likely see travel disruptions in their morning commute on Wednesday.

Northeastern Oregon, the Oregon Cascades, central-northern Idaho, Montana, and northern Wyoming should expect to see 3-6 inches of snow. Yellowstone Park could see over a foot of snow.

The storm is expected to strengthen and the snow is forecasted to spread south and east into the central Rockies and Plains by Thursday. Interstates 29, 90, and 94 in the northern Plains could see travel disruptions as over a foot of snow is possible in these areas.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, rain is expected which could lead to icy conditions on the roads.

By Thursday night, areas of Montana and Wyoming will see temperatures 15-35 degrees below historical average as an Artic air mass rolls in. Late week and into the weekend, the Northwest and Northern Plains could see temperatures in the single digits.