Cold, snowy winter forecasted for the Northwest

Skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers, snowshoers and anyone else who loves snow will appreciate AccuWeather’s long-term forecast for this winter — the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest will be buried in snow.

The highlight of the Northwest this winter will be “frequent precipitation in the form of rain and snow,” said Paul Pastelok, AccuWeather’s expert long-range forecaster. Much of the Rockies and Northwest will get above normal snow this winter.

“A lot of it will be due to the change in water temperatures that is taking place over the northeastern Pacific,” Pastelok said. “They’re much warmer.”

The result will be an active jet stream farther south that will bring moisture to the Northwest for several weeks at a time. While coastal areas may have warmer temperatures, parts of Montana and Wyoming are expected to see temperatures well below normal.

“February can be a wild month, temperature-wise,” Pastelok said. “There is a chance for a strong, arctic surge of cold air, especially for the northern Rockies.”

Established in 1962, AccuWeather provides local forecasts for communities across the U.S. and more than 2 million locations worldwide. They also provide products and services to more than 175,000 paying customers in media, business, government and institutions. AccuWeather’s headquarters in State College, Pa., is home to the largest number of forecast meteorologists in one location in the world.