Heavy Snow to Increase Western Snowpack This Week

Photo courtesy of Photos.com.

Mar 11, 2012; 11:09 AM ET 

While the eastern part of the country will be basking in warmth, the weather has taken a stormy turn across the West.

This stormy weather pattern will continue at least through much of the upcoming week according to meteorologist Matt Alto. Alto states that "A sharp dip in the jet stream will funnel multiple storms into the West over the coming week."

This pattern, while not favorable for outdoor activities, will help to alleviate some of the dry conditions and the lack of snowpack in the mountains.

Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada of California was running at about 30 percent of normal as of the end of February. This is a far cry from the same time last year when snowpack and snow-water equivalent were above average in the vicinity of 120% of normal.

The photo above courtesy NOAA shows the snow depth across the Sierra Nevada as of March 11. This depth map is a far cry from last year with many areas only receiving 30% or less of their normal snowfall.

Normally, this would be bad news in terms of the water supply as the winter snowpack feeds into local rivers and reservoirs. However, with well above-normal snow last year, reservoirs are still running near or above average for this time of year.

If heavy snow didn't fall last year, the state of California would be facing drought conditions and water restrictions.

Additional good news is that the stormy pattern which is going to become the norm this week will send several fronts through California beginning Tuesday and Wednesday.

Moisture will stream into central California throughout the middle and late week producing heavy snow throughout the Sierra Nevada.

Snow levels will start out relatively high on Tuesday and Wednesday, in the vicinity of 5,000 to 6,000 feet in the Sierra before dropping to 2,000 to 3,000 feet by Friday night.

Not only will rainfall be welcome across central and northern California, but the added snowpack will improve skiing conditions in the mountains.

March is typically a big month for ski resorts in the West with people taking vacations and schools going on spring break.

The added snow over the next week will improve the snowpack and should allow many ski resorts to thrive over the next few weeks.

With a lack of natural snow, several resorts in California aren't operating at 100%. That includes the Dodge Ridge Ski Area in the central Sierra and the Badger Pass Ski Area near Yosemite National Park.

The Sierra Nevada isn't the only area suffering from below-normal snowfall. Snowfall in the Wasatch Range of Utah is also running behind compared to this time last year.

Snowbird Ski Resort outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, is only operating with 73% of their terrain open.

This pattern will indeed bring some snow to the Wasatch and the Colorado Rockies beginning Saturday, but by far the heaviest snow will fall in the Sierra as well as the Cascades.

Heavy Snow to Increase Western Snowpack This Week

Stormy Days Ahead for the Northwest

Photo courtesy of Photos.com.

Mar 11, 2012; 10:45 AM ET

While much of the central and eastern parts of the country will be enjoying springlike weather over the coming week, those living in the West, specifically the Pacific Northwest, will be under the influence of a rather wet and stormy pattern.

Widespread above-normal temperatures will be abundant across the eastern half of the country this week with the jet stream positioned to the north. Out West, it will be a much different story.

A sharp dip in the jet stream in the West will be responsible for the stormy weather in the West. It is this dip that will funnel multiple storms into the West over the coming week.

In fact, the wet and stormy weather pattern got underway on Saturday as valley rain and mountain snow fell across portions of the Northwest.

This storm will continue to track across the region today bringing additional rain to the valleys and snowfall to the higher terrain. Colder air and windy conditions will move in behind the storm as it slides off to the north and east.

The atmospheric parade of storms will once again resume on Monday as waves of storms track into the region throughout the course of the week.

According to Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski, "none of the storms appear to be powerhouses in terms of widespread damaging winds, they will bring substantial precipitation as a cumulative effect over time".

Monday's storm is expected to deepen rapidly off the Northwest coastline on Sunday night and Monday as it sends steady rain and mountain snow to the region. As the storm deepens, it is expected to bring strong and potentially damaging winds to the coastlines of Washington and Oregon.

On Tuesday the rain will spread into central California bringing wet weather to the Bay Area and Sacramento Valley.

On Wednesday into Thursday a weaker disturbance will bring more rain and snow to the region.

By the middle of the week, lower elevations in the valleys of western Washington and western Oregon as well as northern California could pick up over 3 inches of rain. When the coming week is all said and done, some locations could have in excess of 5-6 inches of rain with locally higher amounts possible.

Substantial snow will fall across much of the Sierra Nevada making skiers and snowboarders across the region very happy.

However, the considerable rainfall will lead to a heightened concern for urban and flash flooding, especially in poor drainage areas. Many rivers and streams around the region may also reach flood stage at some point this week.

Keep with AccuWeather.com as we detail the storms expected to impact the region over the coming week.

Stormy Days Ahead for the Northwest

Arklatex Severe Storms Starting to Intensify

Mar 11, 2012; 5:36 AM ET

Photo courtesy of Photos.com.

A potent storm system coming out of the Four Corners region will spark a round of damaging thunderstorms across the Arklatex this afternoon and tonight.
All signs point to a decent setup for severe thunderstorms, especially through the evening hours.
One severe thunderstorm watch box is already in effect for storms moving through eastern Texas and western Louisiana.
Strong winds coming out of the Gulf region combined with abundant moisture and the approaching storm system will set the stage for additional showers and strong thunderstorms from eastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas through much of Arkansas and Louisiana.
As stronger winds aloft move eastward across this region of the country, ongoing thunderstorms will continue to gain strength and organization.
These storms will increase in intensity into this afternoon, especially with a few breaks of sun possible to the east of the storms which will help to further destabilize the atmosphere.
Damaging wind gusts and torrential, blinding downpours appear to be the main threats from these thunderstorms from Tyler and Houston, Texas, through Shreveport and Monroe, La., northward to Little Rock, Ark.

AccuWeather.com meteorologists continue to monitor the potential for an increasing tornado potential across this region. There is enough twisting of the winds in the atmosphere that a few tornadoes could develop, especially if there are more breaks of sunshine.
The best chance for tornadoes looks to be across central and southern Arkansas where the winds are more favorable for rotating storms.
For more information on this severe weather potential, please visit the AccuWeather.com Severe Weather Center.
Stay tuned to AccuWeather.com for more information on the tornado potential across the Arklatex region into tonight as well as local media outlets for potential watches and warnings.

Arklatex Severe Storms Starting to Intensify