Weather Outside Your Window: Snow to spread across West as temperatures plunge

By Alyssa Smithmyer, AccuWeather Meteorologist

Published Feb. 21, 2022 10:05 AM EST | Updated Feb. 22, 2022 6:54 PM EST

An active weather pattern is in place across the western United States, AccuWeather forecasters say, and the arrival of a storm in the Northwest will eventually result in widespread impacts from California to the central and southern Rockies.

An area of low pressure was diving southeastward over the interior West on Tuesday. As the storm strengthens will moving into the Southwest region, areas of snow will break out and become locally heavy from the Sierra Nevada to the Rockies in Colorado and the various ranges in northern Arizona and New Mexico.

More than 4 feet of snow is possible in some parts of the Colorado Rockies by the time the storm concludes.

"Snow levels across Southern California will fall rapidly into Tuesday night, ending up as low as 2,000 feet in the San Gabriel and San Emigdio Mountains to 3,000 feet in the Santa Rosa Mountains," stated AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty. This means that travel will be slippery over the Grapevine from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning.

Snow is also expected to reach intermediate elevations from southwestern Oregon to southeastern Arizona and even raise concerns for the frequented mountain passes.

The storm will bring snow to pass levels, leading to slow and difficult travel, especially from Tuesday night into early Wednesday. California mountain passes such as the Grapevine, Tejon and Cajon are included on this list.

By Wednesday morning, periods of snow will arrive across southeastern Arizona. Most of the snowfall from this event will taper off by Wednesday night.

Through midweek, a southward dip in the jet stream across the West will significantly influence the track of the storm and will continue to bring below-normal temperatures to the region in the storm's wake.

"This storm will bring a shot of cold air to the region as it dives southward along the West coast," Douty explained.

On Tuesday night, record-breaking low temperatures are forecast for Portland, Oregon, and Seattle. Overnight temperatures in Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday are expected to dip to a low of 21F, which would break the previous record of 24F recorded in 2018. Temperatures in Seattle are expected to drop down to a low of 22F Tuesday night, which would challenge the previous record of 24F set back in 2018.

Daytime temperatures in Reno, Nevada, are expected to take a plunge this week with highs on Wednesday reaching only the mid-30s Fahrenheit. These temperatures will feel like a dramatic change from the pleasant 60-degree-Fahrenheit weather experienced this past weekend.

Even temperatures in Salt Lake City, Utah, will take roughly a 20-30 F degree drop this week compared to daytime temperatures this weekend. The city is expected to have daytime highs below freezing by Wednesday, nearly 20 degrees below average for this time of year.

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As the Arctic air and snowfall push southward into the Southwest with the storm, forecasters say that an uptick in winds is likely to occur in the Desert Southwest.

On Sunday, the National Weather Service (NWS) had issued wind advisories and high wind watches for counties spanning from the California desert region to northern Arizona. Desert Hot Springs, California, recorded a wind gust of 67 mph at around noon on Monday.

Strong crosswinds can pose a threat to high-profile vehicles traveling on interstates into Tuesday morning. Travel delays due to winds will be possible on portions of U.S. highways 58, 178, 395 and 14, along with interstates 10, 15 and 40. Other impacts such as blowing snow, reduced visibility, power outages and flying debris can also occur due to the strong winds.

Aside from the snow and wind, occasional showers will arrive along the Southern California coastline from Tuesday night through Wednesday. Forecasters say that localized thunderstorms and small hail will be possible during this period.

Following a dry January, California residents may be delighted at the idea of rain in the coming days. Los Angeles received a total of only 0.19 of an inch of rain during January. The current total stands at 0.06 of an inch of rainfall for the city so far in February.

Los Angeles is expected to receive occasional showers from Tuesday to Wednesday. Anyone traveling in Southern California on either day is cautioned to be aware of changing road conditions. After a prolonged period of generally dry weather, any rain or showers can easily make roadways slick.