First snow of the season possible this weekend for parts of the West

It has been a long, hot summer but there are signs starting to show that fall and winter are right around the corner. The days are growing shorter, earlier sunsets and later sunrises, and cooler air is beginning to slowly build at higher latitudes, and a fairly cold storm system for the time of year could bring the first snow of the 2024-2025 season to the higher terrain across parts of the West.

A strong, cold upper area of low pressure will approach the Pacific Northwest on Friday before lifting northeast across the Interior Northwest and weakening over the weekend. This low pressure system will pack a punch, dropping temperatures for this region and dropping snow levels.

The areas that have the highest odds to see snow include the highest elevations of the Cascades in Washington, Oregon and northern California, the California Sierra-Nevadas and the U.S. northern Rockies in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Wet flakes cannot be completely ruled out in Utah and Colorado as well. The snow level will fall to around 8,000 feet late Friday into Saturday from Washington to California with wet snow possible all the way down to 7,000 feet. No accumulations are expected below 8,000 feet but a dusting is possible at 8,000 feet with a few inches above 10,000 feet. As the system moves northeast across the U.S. northern Rockies, it'll weaken but still drop snow levels down to 10,000 where accumulations are possible in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana Saturday into Sunday.

The forecast snow won't cause any significant issues for people traveling or vacationing out west, but if you do plan on hiking or camping in the backcountry of this region, keep in mind it will get cold and stormy so plan accordingly. Snow in late August is not unheard of for these areas but it is a rare occurrence, and a sign of the changing seasons as we edge closer to fall and winter.