Snow fell across six Pacific Northwest and Mountain West states from June 16 through 18, accompanied by below freezing temperatures in some areas, prompting the National Weather Service to issue Freeze and Snow Warnings.
“Snow has fallen in at least six states over the past three days, bringing as much as nearly 2 feet to some mountainous regions after a late-season winter storm moved over the Northwest earlier this week,” reported Newsweek. The states impacted by freezing temperatures, snow, and frost, included Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington state, and Wyoming. Up to 24 inches of snow were expected to fall in some areas, although the NWS said six to 18 inches would be more common across most of the affected states.
“National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists issued several cold weather and winter storm advisories for a slew of states over the past few days,” Newsweek continued. “The foul weather is associated with a cold front that is bringing late-season mountain snow to the Northwest this week. Cold temperatures arrived in most areas on Sunday.”
In its X feed, the NWS’s office in Missoula, Montana wrote about the returning snow (see the post below)
Describing the cause of the very late-for-the-season winter weather, Fox News wrote:
A cold upper-level low moved into the Pacific Northwest over the weekend and tracked across the Intermountain West for the start of the workweek.
The upper-level settled into western Montana and central Idaho Monday and was to remain there into Tuesday, with the potential for heavy snow along the northern Rockies.
Winter Storm Warnings were posted for large areas of the Montana and Idaho mountains, with forecasts of 4-8 inches above 6,000 feet in Glacier National Park and 6-15 inches in the Sapphire and Bitterroot ranges, including Lost Trail Pass.
Further west, in Oregon the NWS issued a freeze warning.
“On Monday at 10:39 a.m. a freeze warning was issued by the National Weather Service valid for Tuesday between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m. for Klamath Basin, Northern and Eastern Klamath County and Western Lake County, and Central and Eastern Lake County,” reported Oregon Live. “The weather service adds, “Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 27 degrees expected.”
“‘Frost and freezing conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing,’ comments the weather service. ‘Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold,’” Oregon Live continued.