Federal Agency Issues Warnings for First Winter Storm of Season

The first "significant" snow of the season is coming for the northwestern United States and portions of the northern Plains states starting Tuesday evening, federal officials say. (National Weather Service)

The first “significant” snow of the season is coming for the northwestern United States and portions of the northern Plains states starting Tuesday evening, federal officials say.

“An early-season snow storm will impact the Northwest quadrant of the U.S. over the next few days,” the National Weather Service (NWS) stated on its website Tuesday. “The heavy snow and winter weather conditions start today across the Northwest terrain into the northern Rockies before filtering out into the northern Plains midweek. This significant multi-day event will likely cause difficult travel conditions across the region.”

The weather agency forecasts between 5 and 10 inches of snow, and locally up to 12 inches from “western North Dakota and eastern Montana into the lower elevations of western Montana.”

Between 1 and 2 feet of snow will likely fall in the northern Rocky Mountains and northern Cascade Mountains, it said.

Winter storm warnings, watches, and advisories have been implemented by the NWS until Thursday for parts of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota, where several inches of snow will likely coat the ground.

As that happens, a surge of deep moisture and colder areas will spread from Oregon and Washington state through much of Montana, heading eastward. Reports on Monday evening indicated that snow has already fallen in the Cascades in Washington, including

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“In addition to the snow, the falling temperatures will feel like an early winter blast, with highs only into the 20s and lows in the teens by Wednesday from the Northern Rockies into the Northern High Plains,” the NWS said. “Temperatures will be chilly but a bit more moderate in the Northwest, with mostly 40s and low 50s expected.”

For the areas under a winter storm warning Tuesday and Wednesday, which includes a large portion of Montana, traveling will likely “be very difficult to impossible and tire chains may be required for some vehicles. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility.”

“Those in the backcountry should ensure they are prepared for dangerous conditions,” the NWS said. “The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning commutes.”

The unseasonably cold air could also threaten to cause problems for crops.

“Agricultural impacts include potential damage to emerging winter wheat in Montana,“ the NWS said. ”However, any protective snow cover may lower the damage risk. The rapid transition to colder temperatures could stress livestock across the northern Great Plains, and [cause] damage to un-winterized water systems such as sprinkler systems.”

The storm warnings come as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its 2023–24 winter outlook, saying that there will be warmer temperatures in the northern United States and wetter conditions in the south.

“This year, El Nino is in place heading into winter for the first time in four years, driving the outlook for warmer-than-average temperatures for the northern tier of the continental United States,” the forecast said.

It added that between December and February, “wetter-than-average conditions” are forecast for northern Alaska, some western states, southern Plains states, the Southeast, Gulf states, and the lower mid-Atlantic states.

There will be “drier-than-average conditions across the northern tier of the U.S., especially in the northern Rockies and High Plains and near the Great Lakes,” NOAA said.