Your Mid-October Powder Preview Is Here 🎿

Andrea Hamilton
Oct 10
3 min read

Hello NW skiers and snowboarders,

Exciting news, winter is coming to the mountains this weekend with respectable new snowfall for mid-October.

Typically, in the Pacific Northwest the Pacific storms start to pick up in magnitude and frequency in mid to late October. What’s unusual about this upcoming weather pattern is not the increasing moisture, but the low snow levels for this time of year.

It all adds up to the first widespread snowfall for much of the Pacific Northwest from Whistler to Baker to Crystal to Bachelor. And the new snow will fall on the mountains of the Inland Northwest, like 49 Degrees and Silver Mountain. The new snowfall will also be seen through much of interior British Columbia while lessor amounts are seen in Oregon.

Here’s how it unfolds.

There will be a little new snow on Saturday (trace-1”).
But initially higher snow levels will prevail (5,000-6,500 ft).
That means only the upper slopes will get a little snow.
And in the beginning not that much – but the best is yet to come.

Sunday and Monday, a more organized system with more moisture and cooler temperatures will be moving in. Snow levels will drop to 3,000 - 4,000 ft by later Sunday, which means snow for most ski slopes. How much? It looks like anywhere from a few inches on the lower slopes. But many mid to upper slopes will see 3-8” or more, by Monday morning. It's lookin' good. Most of the snowfall will occur from Sunday into Monday. Not bad for October.

On Tuesday, during our Subscriber's-Only Powder Poobah Zoom, I will have weather updates to review and see what’s next for snow. Tune in 6:30 - 7:30pm. Link s way below.

There is a weak La Nina, which is favorable for Northwest mountain snowfall this winter. So far, I like this progressive early start, with no blocking patterns which would create dry weather. And the cool pattern is a bonus – but will it continue? Join us we’ll answer all your questions and have some snow insights for the season ahead.

Watch for some good mountain views of the new snowfall by Monday.

Grand Poobah of Powder

Larry Schick – meteorologist

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Snowvana Snow Fest, Oct 17–19th Get in Free when you volunteer.

(below) 24 hr total snowfall over the NW from Sunday morning to Monday morning. Most snowfall is aimed over the Central and North Cascades

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