Winter Is Back: 12 Inches for The West to Be Followed by a "Monster" Holiday Weekend Storm
Powderchasers/WeatherBell
Preview
The best midweek skiing will be in California on Wednesday, February 11, and Utah on Thursday, February 12. The Sierra peaks Tuesday night into Wednesday with snow levels falling through the event, and the Wasatch keeps accumulating steadily from Tuesday night through Thursday. Snow quality improves as temperatures cool, and the biggest downside is wind on exposed terrain during the heart of the storms.
Colorado and the Tetons pick up lighter but steadier snow from Tuesday night through Thursday, with the best conditions at higher elevations where the snow stays drier. The Pacific Northwest stays mostly quiet through Thursday, then the pattern turns more unsettled heading into the weekend and early next week. Confidence stays highest on the midweek cycle, and timing becomes less settled after that.
Keep reading for ski resort forecasts, a daily breakdown, and the "monster storm" that's brewing for President's Day Weekend 2026 and beyond.
Projected Snowfall Totals Feb 10–Feb 12, 2026
These projected totals are conservative. Most locations will likely end up near the upper end of these ranges, especially in Utah. Given the higher uncertainty with this system, we’ve kept the projections on the low side.
- Palisades Tahoe, CA: 6–8 inches
- Park City, UT: 5–8 inches
- Sugar Bowl, CA: 6–8 inches
- Crested Butte, CO: 6–10 inches
- Kirkwood, CA: 7–11 inches
- Mammoth Mountain, CA: 9–12 inches
- Solitude, UT: 9–13 inches
- Brighton, UT: 10–14 inches
- Snowbird, UT: 11–15 inches
- Alta Ski Area, UT: 11–16 inches
Storm Timing and Discussion
Powderchasers/WeatherBell
California
California gets the first solid push, with snowfall increasing on Tuesday and continuing into Tuesday night and Wednesday. Snow levels start high and trend down through Wednesday, improving quality as the storm progresses.
Mammoth sits in the sweet spot and could reach 9–12 inches by Wednesday afternoon with SLRs in the low teens, and Kirkwood follows at 7–11 inches with stronger wind that can leave exposed terrain more wind-affected.
Powderchasers/WeatherBell
Utah
Utah turns on Tuesday night and stays productive through Thursday. Alta could stack 11–16 inches by Thursday afternoon, and Snowbird sits close behind at 11–15 inches, with the steadiest stretch from Tuesday night through Wednesday night.
Snow levels run elevated, and the snow stays mostly in the heavy-to-moderate density lane rather than true light/blower snow. The ECMWF and the AIFS lean lower on totals for the central Wasatch, the GFS and the GDPS push higher.
Powderchasers/WeatherBell
Colorado and Wyoming
Colorado and the Tetons cash in on the same southwest flow with a steadier, lighter stream of snow Tuesday night through Thursday.
Crested Butte looks like the best Colorado bet at 6–10 inches through Thursday afternoon, and Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole keep adding snow in the 4–7 inch ranges with low-teen SLRs that should ski well when the wind stays modest.
The GFS runs much higher than the ECMWF and the AIFS in the Tetons, so keep total expectations flexible there, even with the overall storm timing looking solid.
Daily Chase Recommendations
Each day’s snowfall range combines the previous night (4 pm–8 am) and that day (8 am–4 pm).
Wednesday and Thursday offer the clearest, highest-confidence chasing, with California peaking first and Utah staying productive longer. Most areas trend quieter on Friday, and the next round looks more likely over the weekend into early next week, with lower confidence on exact timing.
- Wed Feb 11: Mammoth 8–11 inches of moderate snow after the Tuesday night surge with temps in the low 20s and manageable wind; Alta 5–8 inches of moderate snow with gustier ridgelines and a deeper reload building Wednesday night.
- Thu Feb 12: Alta or Snowbird 4–7 inches of moderate snow after roughly a foot through Wednesday night, with winds easing and temperatures staying in the 20s to keep density reasonable.
Extended Outlook
A much larger storm pattern is brewing for this President's Day Weekend and early next week, which could turn on the faucet for the West and bring massive totals (particularly in California).
The broader pattern supports continued storm chances across much of the West into the middle of the month, with a lean toward cooler and wetter conditions for California and the Pacific Northwest.
That keeps the door open for more frequent refreshes in the northern Rockies and periodic mountain snow in Colorado as waves move through. Details on timing and which regions score best become less consistent beyond Thursday, so expect meaningful updates as the next Pacific system comes into sharper focus.