Weather
This SnowBrains Forecast was created at 02:45 p.m. PST on Sunday, February 15, 2026.
An active week is ahead for the Northern Rockies, highlighted by a strong Monday night into Tuesday system and followed by colder, higher-quality snow showers through Friday. Snow levels run high at times on Monday before crashing on Tuesday, and that sets up improving powder quality midweek as colder air deepens across the region. The central Idaho mountains, the Tetons, and the Idaho Panhandle look best for consistent accumulations, while interior British Columbia and Alberta lean steadier and lighter. Confidence stays solid through Friday, then the weekend turns warmer and windier with a more uncertain next storm signal late in the forecast window.
Monday afternoon into Tuesday is the main punch, with widespread mountain snow and strong winds as a sharp cold front sweeps the Northern Rockies. Precipitation increases from west to east on Monday, with snow levels running roughly 3,500 to 6,500 feet during the warmest part of the day, so expect wetter snow or a rain mix at lower elevations before colder air arrives. The steadier, heavier burst lines up late Monday into Tuesday morning, and the models are converging on the rapid snow-level crash to valley floors on Tuesday, with the biggest spread coming from where the tighter band of heavier precipitation sets up. Snow quality starts dense to fairly good with snow-to-liquid ratios mostly in the 8-13:1 range early, then improves quickly behind the front as ratios climb into the 14-18:1 range. Winds ramp during the frontal passage, and exposed ridgelines in Montana and western Wyoming can see gusts pushing into the 40 to 60 mph range at times, which may disrupt upper-mountain lifts.
Tuesday night through Friday keeps the snow machine running in colder air, with frequent showers and generally excellent powder quality. Across the region, snow levels remain near valley floors, and temperatures are sharply colder than Monday, supporting snow-to-liquid ratios typically in the 15-20:1 range and a lighter, drier feel to new snow. The ECMWF, the GFS, and the AIFS agree on the broader troughy setup and the day-to-day chances for snow, while they diverge on which subranges get the most persistent upslope bands and how strong the late-week reinforcement becomes. That uncertainty matters most for the smaller, showery waves, but the pattern still favors the central Idaho mountains, the Tetons, and the Idaho Panhandle for the most consistent refreshes through the end of the work week. Winds ease some after Tuesday’s front, though occasional gusty periods will linger in exposed bowls and ridgelines when embedded waves roll through.
Saturday and Sunday look warmer and windier with less reliable snowfall, and the back half of the forecast keeps another storm window in play. A brief ridge signal shows up in several models, which would bring a break in organized snowfall for many areas and nudge snow levels upward, especially south and west. Confidence drops quickly here because the models diverge on how quickly warmer air arrives, how much moisture survives into the region, and whether winds become a primary issue over the higher ridges. Farther out, the longer-range pattern still leans active across the Northern Rockies, so an additional meaningful snow cycle remains plausible later in the window, but the timing spread is large enough that it should stay on the watch list for now.
Resort Forecast Totals February 15-20
- Brundage – 21″-32″
- Grand Targhee – 18″-29″
- Schweitzer – 18″-26″
- Tamarack – 15″-23″
- Bogus Basin – 15″-22″
- Jackson Hole – 13″-20″
- Sun Valley – 11″-16″
- Whitefish Mountain – 10″-14″
- Big Sky – 9″-14″
- RED Mountain – 9″-13″
- Banff Sunshine – 8″-11″
- Bridger Bowl – 6″-9″
- Big White – 6″-9″
- Revelstoke – 5″-8″
- Mount Norquay – 6″-8″
- Lake Louise – 5″-7″
