A powerful Halloween weekend storm could bury parts of California, Utah, and Colorado under as much as two feet of snow by Monday, November 2. The latest National Weather Service forecast puts the odds of at least 12 inches above 90 percent in several mountain ranges, with isolated totals approaching 24 inches.
The surprise is where the heaviest snow could fall. Rather than blanketing major cities, the storm is targeting higher elevations, where heavy, wet snow could make mountain travel hazardous just as November begins.
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California Faces Heavy Snow Before Storm Reaches Rockies
OpenSnow meteorologist Alan Smith forecasts 8 to 16 inches across the Sierra Nevada, including the Lake Tahoe region, with the heaviest precipitation arriving Saturday.
Smith describes the developing system as “a strong storm” moving “across the Southwest and West Central U.S. over the weekend, bringing significant rain and snow from the Sierra to the Rockies.”
The complication is temperature. Snow levels begin relatively high, allowing rain to reach some mountain communities while higher peaks accumulate snow.
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Utah and Colorado Could Receive Up to 24 Inches
The storm’s biggest totals may develop farther east. OpenSnow projects 12 to 24 inches at favored Utah and southwestern Colorado ski resorts, compared with 4 to 12 inches across central and northern Colorado.
The Weather Prediction Center identifies the Sierra Nevada, Uinta Mountains, and San Juan Mountains as particularly vulnerable.
Forecasters warn that “heavy mountain snow is likely, especially above 9000 ft,” with “locally 2 feet possible.”
That elevation distinction matters. Most significant accumulation should remain in the mountains, although wet snowfall could create substantial snow loads and difficult driving conditions.
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Snow Could Continue Into Election Day
The system may linger beyond Monday. Smith expects additional snowfall across Colorado and Wyoming into Tuesday as colder northwest winds develop behind the departing storm.
The practical takeaway: Mountain travelers should check updated snowfall forecasts and road conditions before crossing higher passes. Two feet of snow is a localized possibility, not a prediction for every community across the three states.
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