Western U.S. Weather Blog
No Big Storms, But Pesky Cold Ones Likely
Mar 8, 2010; 1:21 PM ET
This will be a week with no big rain and snowstorms for California, the interior Great Basin or Southwest. However, there will be a couple of pesky cold storms that bring precipitation and some problems. Meanwhile, the Northwest will have three separate storms bringing rain and Sierra snow through Friday, especially from the Cascades on west.
Two cold inside sliders move through the Southwest states this week. The first is occurring now and is located on the northern California coast. It can be seen in this visible satellite picture as swirl of clouds.

This cold system will drop southeast tonight and tomorrow moving into northern Arizona tomorrow afternoon and night. As the low moves southeast, it will bring rain and snow showers along its path with rather low snow levels. Snow levels in the Sierra tonight and tomorrow morning will be in the 2,000- to 2,500-foot level. In Southern California, snow levels will drop to 3,500 feet. Not a lot of snow will fall above the snow level, but enough to give small accumulations on non-paved surfaces and produce slippery roads.
Precipitation in Utah and much of northern Arizona will be in the form of snow as snow levels will be 4,000 to 5,000 feet from north to south. The mountains could get 3 to 6 inches of snow above 6,000 feet, with a slushy coating in the valleys. Only the lowest valleys of Utah will have rain showers. Also, rain showers are likely in the lower deserts of Arizona.
A second storm will bring rain and snow into the Northwest tomorrow night and Wednesday. Energy from that storm will break off and head southeast as well, bringing some light rain and snow to parts of California with even lower snow levels than our first inside slider. Precipitation will then spread into Utah by Wednesday into Wednesday night.
The good news for the Southwest is that sunnier, milder weather will take over Thursday and Friday. In the Northwest, another storm will move off the Pacific later Thursday into Friday in two separate bursts.
More Ken Clark
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Current Western Snow Depth
Feb 8, 2012; 1:15 PM ET
The greatest departures below normal remain in California to Utah and parts of Colorado.
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A Short Period of Wet Weather For California
Feb 6, 2012; 1:19 PM ET
A storm in the Eastern Pacific puts an end to another extended rain free period in California.
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So Very, Very Cold In Alaska For January with Impressive Records
Feb 1, 2012; 1:33 PM ET
The month of January has gone down as one of the coldest on record for portions of Alaska.
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Another Long Period of Little to No Precipitation
Jan 30, 2012; 12:33 PM ET
the screaming message is the same from Washington State to California and Arizona. Below to much below normal precipitation for at least the next 10-days.
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Reversal of Fortunes for Lake Mead
Jan 27, 2012; 1:21 PM ET
Due to the lack of snow and rain this Winter over the watershed, projections now are for a 13-foot drop in the lake level in the next year
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Moderately Strong Santa Ana Wind Coming
Jan 26, 2012; 2:06 PM ET
The strongest winds will wait until Friday night and Saturday morning.
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Hope You Enjoyed the Rain and Snow; Changes Coming
Jan 23, 2012; 1:33 PM ET
Once this storm moves through the storm track drastically moves north tomorrow through the rest of the work week
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Details on California Rain Storm(s)
Jan 19, 2012; 1:31 PM ET
The next storm will be a stronger storm with much more upper-level support farther south.
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Heavy Snowstorm East of Cascades as Well
Jan 17, 2012; 1:30 PM ET
This is setting up a classic heavy snow scenario on the east slopes of the Cascades
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Northwest Lowland Snowstorm Could Be Huge
Jan 16, 2012; 1:37 PM ET
Its going to be a rough week trying to go through the Cascade passes this week but it could be quite hazardous in the lowlands of western Washington and northwest Oregon as well.
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Big Snow for the Coastal Northwest?
Jan 14, 2012; 2:08 PM ET
But eyes turn toward a potentially big snow threat for somewhere in western Washington Tuesday night and Wednesday.
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Colder Northwest Weekend with Low-Elevation Snow
Jan 13, 2012; 1:07 PM ET
Once the front is through colder air moves in and causes snow levels to drop to very low levels in western Washington and Oregon
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The Good News, The Bad News
Jan 12, 2012; 2:14 PM ET
I hate to beat a dead horse, so to speak, but the snow less, rain less weather pattern looks like it continues into much of next week for the Southwest.
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Latest Sierra Snow Analysis is Ugly/Pattern Change?
Jan 10, 2012; 1:28 PM ET
Average snow pack is down to 14 percent of normal, from 19 percent last week.
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Another Week of Bad Rain and Snow News
Jan 9, 2012; 1:15 PM ET
Does this new week bring any hope? Absolutely not.
About This Blog
Ken ClarkKen Clark's Western U.S. weather blog tackles daily weather events with commentary from one of the most experienced and trusted Western U.S. weather experts.
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