Weather
A wet early-season front is moving through this weekend with the best snow focused on the high Cascades and portions of interior British Columbia, while the Tetons and southwest Montana see a colder, lighter burst late Sunday into Monday. Expect snow levels to start high and then fall, dense snow quality for many PNW areas at first, and breezy to strong ridgetop winds that will affect upper-mountain conditions. A short quiet stretch follows early next week before a stronger, wetter pattern aims back at the West late in the week, with initially high snow levels trending lower by next weekend.
Pacific Northwest
Saturday night–Sunday front brings widespread precip with snow levels falling to around 5,000–5,500 feet by Sunday. Precipitation arrives from north to south Saturday evening, peaks overnight, and tapers to scattered showers through Sunday afternoon. Snow levels are high ahead of the front (as high as 8,000–10,000 feet in Washington) and then drop quickly behind it to near 5,000 feet by midday Sunday, so the better accumulation window is Sunday morning through Sunday evening at mid and upper elevations. Snow-to-liquid ratios (SLRs) are mostly 5–9:1 with this system, which points to dense, heavy snow quality early, improving slightly later Sunday as colder air filters in. Ridgetops will be breezy to windy; exposed Cascade crests commonly see gusts 40–50 mph with pockets stronger.
Washington Cascades: wet-to-drier transition with the North Cascades favored. Stevens Pass is set up well for a respectable refresh, with Sunday bringing the bulk of the totals and snow levels hovering near 4,600–5,000 feet, so the best quality will be above pass level. SLRs trend from roughly 5–7:1 toward 7–8:1 Sunday night, which should help the late-day snow ski a touch drier. Mt. Baker sees a similar timing but with lighter amounts and somewhat calmer winds, while Crystal picks up modest accumulations with snow levels near 4,900–5,300 feet, favoring mid-mountain and above. Showers wind down later Sunday into Monday with just a dusting-to-an-inch on the tail end.
Oregon Cascades and Whistler: Timberline leads in Oregon while Whistler scores a healthy upper-mountain refresh. Timberline looks like the standout in Oregon thanks to steady Saturday night through Sunday snow above about 5,000 feet; SLRs of 5–8:1 keep the snow dense, though quality improves slightly Sunday night. Winds there are stout with frequent ridgetop gusts near 60–70 mph, which will affect the feel up high. Mt. Bachelor sits near the rain/snow line at the base for a time (snow levels 6,300 feet easing to near 5,500 feet by Sunday night), so expect lighter totals with better coverage as temperatures cool late. Up north, Whistler sees a solid round of upper-mountain snow Saturday night into Sunday with comparatively lighter winds and snow levels in the 4,000–4,400 foot range.
Medium range: brief lull, then a stronger, wetter push late week. Monday and Tuesday trend drier and seasonable, then confidence is high that a moisture-rich system targets the West Wednesday night through Friday. Expect widespread rain and high-elevation snow to return, with snow levels initially elevated in the PNW before trending lower next weekend as colder air works in. The pattern favors above-normal precipitation in the 6–10 day window with a risk of a more impactful wind and mountain snow event by about Oct 25–27.
Resort Forecast Totals
- Timberline – 9″–12″ Sat night (10/18) – Mon (10/20)
- Whistler – 9″–11″ Sat (10/18) – Sun (10/19)
- Stevens Pass – 7″–10″ Sat night (10/18) – Mon (10/20)
- Mt Baker – 5″–7″ Sat night (10/18) – Mon (10/20)
- Crystal Mountain – 5″–6″ Sat night (10/18) – Sun night (10/19)
- Mt Bachelor – 3″–4″ Sat night (10/18) – Sun night (10/19)
Northern Rockies
Saturday night–Sunday wave spreads north-to-south with snow levels starting high then falling quickly. Light precipitation reaches interior BC and northwest Montana first late Saturday, then slides across northern Idaho and western Montana through Sunday. Snow levels initially run above 7,000 feet, then crash to roughly 4,000–5,500 feet behind the front Sunday afternoon and evening, which focuses more meaningful accumulations on higher terrain. Where the snow sticks, SLRs vary regionally: wet 6–9:1 near the northern Idaho ranges, closer to 10–12:1 in parts of the Canadian Rockies, and 11–13:1 for the Tetons and southwest Montana late Sunday night into Monday. Winds increase Sunday, with widespread gusts 30–45 mph and higher on exposed ridges.
Interior BC and the far northern tier: Big White leads; Whitefish and RED pick up a respectable refresh. Big White has the best combination of cold and moisture with totals in the upper single to low double digits and SLRs near 10–12:1 for fair snow quality. RED Mountain and Whitefish Mountain both tally a solid few to several inches, with wetter snow (typical SLRs mostly 6–9:1) early and slightly improved texture late. Revelstoke grabs lighter amounts on the southern and warmer edge of the wave, while Schweitzer stays on the modest side but breezy, with localized ridgetop gusts near 45–50 mph that will roughen the surface.
Southward into the Tetons and southwest Montana: colder, lighter burst late Sunday night into Monday. The best window for Grand Targhee arrives Sunday night into early Monday with 11–13:1 SLRs and a lighter, chalkier feel, while Jackson Hole collects a few inches with similar timing and quality. Southwest and central Montana see a smaller shot: Big Sky and Bridger Bowl pick up a few inches, with SLRs improving from 6–9:1 Sunday evening to 12–14:1 by Monday morning. Winds will be a factor along the divide and in the Tetons, with gusts 45–55 mph for a time Sunday night on the most exposed ridges.
Medium range: midweek ridge, then a late-week moisture surge and a colder turn next weekend. Tuesday and Wednesday trend drier and milder with light winds for many ranges. Late in the week, a stronger Pacific system sends widespread moisture inland, first as higher snow levels (7,000–8,000 feet) and then falling by next weekend as colder air digs in. This setup supports above-normal precipitation chances for the region with the potential for a more significant mountain snow event around Oct 25–27, especially near the Continental Divide and the higher peaks of northwest Wyoming and western Montana.
Resort Forecast Totals
- Big White – 8″–10″ Sat night (10/18) – Mon (10/20)
- RED Mountain – 5″–7″ Sat night (10/18) – Sun night (10/19)
- Whitefish Mountain – 5″–7″ Sat night (10/18) – Mon night (10/20)
- Grand Targhee – 5″–6″ Sun night (10/19) – Mon night (10/20)
- Big Sky – 3″–5″ Sun (10/19) – Mon night (10/20)
- Revelstoke – 3″–4″ Sat night (10/18) – Sun night (10/19)
- Brundage – 3″–4″ Sun (10/19) – Mon (10/20)
- Jackson Hole – 3″–4″ Sun night (10/19) – Mon night (10/20)
- Bridger Bowl – 3″–4″ Sun (10/19) – Mon night (10/20)
- Banff Sunshine – 2″–3″ Sat night (10/18) – Mon (10/20)
- Lake Louise – 2″–3″ Sat night (10/18) – Mon night (10/20)
- Schweitzer – 1″–2″ Sat night (10/18) – Sun night (10/19)
