Today we expect cloudy skies and lingering snow showers this morning, mostly light, becoming mostly cloudy this afternoon with just some flurries for 49N, Mt Spokane and Schweitzer, and continuing snow accumulations and cloudy skies for Silver Mountain and especially Lookout Pass into Missoula/ Kalispell, as a moderately strong and fast moving shortwave low pressure system exits the area, with a southwest flow aloft continuing.

On Tuesday we expect another storm to move in, but this one looks much stronger and loaded with moisture (over 1" of precipitable water), with snow levels touching 5,000 feet during heaviest precip late Tuesday. Heavy snow totals are expected (1 to 2 feet across the mountains), a BIG powder day is expected to be announced Wednesday morning!

On Wednesday we expect lingering snowfall from 49N and Mt Spokane to Schweitzer in the morning, clearing pretty fast with some sunshine after noon, plus colder temperatures and strong winds, low wind chills so bundling up with layers is a good idea. For Silver Mountain and Lookout Pass, expect snow to continue through the day, and after 18" or so at Lookout, expect an additional 2-4" on a colder Wednesday. Great conditions are expected, but be prepared for wind and blowing snow as low pressure exits.

On Thursday we expect some sunshine under a high pressure ridge and milder temperatures, but mostly cloudy skies with some snow showers expected at times due to weak disturbances passing through overhead.

Friday we expect another shot of (this time) moderate to heavy snow (maybe 4-8" across the region, 8" for Lookout) from a fast moving and not as moist storm system, with snow falling through the day and overnight, and THEN some nice freshies on a mostly sunny Saturday!

WOW: LONGER RANGE (through the holidays):

Sunday and Monday we are expecting a BIG storm, with a subtropical moisture tap as this large-scale low pressure system, moving in out of a major trough over the Gulf of Alaska, carries in strong southwest wind flow and deep moisture from southwest of Tahoe right across into the region. Snow levels will likely hover near 4,000 feet, for some great, dense base-building snow. Following this, after a 1/2 day of reprieve, another significant looking system moves in, followed by another day of respite and another storm, right up until around the 23rd or so, setting up the Christmas and New Year holiday with amazing conditions! We do not hype weather, though this may sound like it, its just looking this good! These are systems coming from a longer fetch from across the Pacific, for some more moisture and powder day potential, currently hammering Niseko, Japan...

Toward the NEW YEAR and beyond... Around Christmas we do expect some sunshine mixed with COLDER air and lighter, powdery  snow at times... So we expect  great skiing and riding for the family. Around the New Year we expect another period of "busy" weather, with energy across the Pacific looking strong, coming off east Asia, so we do expect some of these storms to affect the western US, including the Inland Northwest. We put out a REALLY long range forecast back in September, and it pretty much materialized (http://snowforecast.com/inland-northwest). CM