Forecast calls for snowy, cold winter in western Montana

Here’s one forecast that’s sure to make local skiers and snowmobilers giddy for the upcoming winter.

AccuWeather is projecting that a weak La Niña will fuel “an abundance of precipitation” in the Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions this winter.

This snowy and cold forecast spans from western Montana south to the Utah Wasatch.

AccuWeather meteorologist Dave Samuhel said that La Niña tends to push more moisture off the Pacific into Northwest Montana. La Niña is a natural cooling of the equatorial Pacific that impacts weather worldwide.

“Winters tend to be pretty snowy and cold across Montana [during La Niña.] We continue to think that will be the case this winter,” Samuhel told the Inter Lake.

He said confidence is high that a weak La Niña will persist through the winter months. Last winter also saw a weak La Niña, he added.

Temperatures are expected to be below normal, but not quite as frigid as last winter.

According to Samuhel, last winter was about 7 degrees below normal in Montana, while this winter is projected to be 1 to 2 degrees below normal. He said Arctic blasts will mostly impact areas east of Western Montana in the Northern Plains region.

AccuWeather isn’t alone in its winter predictions. The National Weather Service also is projecting that La Niña will take hold this winter, bringing above average precipitation to Northwest Montana.

Farther west, the Cascades of Washington are also predicted to benefit from abundant snowfall.

“It’s a good area to head out to if you’re a big skier,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said.

However, some areas that got pummeled with snow last year could see a reprieve, the AccuWeather forecast shows.

Central and northern California are predicted to be less wet and snowy in the upcoming months, following record-breaking snow totals last winter. Ski resorts still should receive enough snowfall to create good conditions, Pastelok said.

On the East Coast, a chilly winter is in store for the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, with an above-normal snow season projected. Areas prone to lake-effect snow will also see high totals, AccuWeather predicts.