More snow to blanket the Rockies this week, cold air with system moves into central, eastern parts of the country

The seasons are changing, and it is evident in the higher terrain at the higher latitudes. Just days after snow blanked the highest peaks of Northern California, including Mount Shasta, more snow is in the forecast for parts of the west this week.

Snowy Saturday (August 24) morning at Mount Shasta

A cold storm system and associated Pacific cold front will drop snow levels overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning as low as 6,000 feet in the northern U.S. Rockies across Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, this does include the mountains at Glacier National Park. There is even the potential for some snow along the Cascade ridgeline in Washington State on Tuesday.

Upper-level weather pattern midweek (green colors depict where the cold upper storm system is located during this time)

Accumulations will not be significant, nor will they impact valleys or populated areas, but it is possible a coating to 1 inch could fall as low as 6,000 feet with a few inches for the highest peaks.

Modeled snow accumulation forecast

This cold strong system is the same system responsible for driving in a cold front into the Northern Plains late in the week that will move south into the Southern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes. This will deliver below normal temperatures over Labor Day Weekend into the first week of September for these areas.

Temperature departure from normal late week (blue/purple colors depict temperatures below normal, red/orange colors depict temperature above normal)

8–14-day temperature outlook from the CPC