Reinforcing burst of chilly air to bring more snow to northwestern US this weekend

Another blast of cool air will set the stage for unsettled weather across the northwestern United States this weekend.

The storm that unleashed a significant early season snow event has since departed the region, with fairly quiet weather in store for snow removal operations through the end of the week.

By Friday, high temperatures will recover to the 50s and 60s F over the interior Northwest, following 30s and 40s early in the week.

Motorists and pedestrians should watch for areas of ice on roadways and sidewalks as melting and refreezing cycles occur through the end of the week.

“Things will quiet down in the Rockies the rest of this week, but temperatures will remain chilly and well below early October normals through the upcoming weekend,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jack Boston said.

A fresh round of chilly air will plunge over the Northwest this weekend, knocking temperatures back as quickly as they rebounded.

Daytime temperatures are expected to fall back into the 30s and 40s across the interior Northwest and 50s and 60s closer to the coast by early next week.

Despite average temperatures trending downward rapidly in October, highs will be around 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit below normal near the coast and up to 15 degrees below normal farther inland during the invasion of cool air.

Gusty winds accompanying the cool push will not only create lower AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures, but also elevate the risk of wildfire spread. Make sure to properly extinguish campfires, matches and/or cigarettes to lower this threat.

The chill will sweep across the Colorado Front Range, northern Plains and Upper Midwest early next week, perhaps bringing some of the coldest air so far this season to these areas.

“Some light snow [is expected] in the northern and central Rockies late in the weekend as the much cooler air arrives,” Boston said.

While a repeat of the significant snow totals from earlier in the week is not in store, enough snow is likely to fall to lead to slippery travel at times.

Those with plans to travel, hike or camp in the region should be prepared for cold and snowy conditions, including at Glacier and Yellowstone national parks.