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Mother Nature appears to be celebrating #TakeMeBackTuesday by doing a winter rewind by dumping snow across the West two weeks before summer.
In some parts of West, you couldn’t tell by the weather that the official start date of summer is only eleven days away on June 20. Snow. We’re not talking flakes or flurries – heavy snow. We’re talking lots of accumulation blocking roads, and so much icy, white stuff it would make you swear it’s November or December.
You’re not dreaming. Your calendar is correct. It’s June.
Depending on where you are in the West, this is not the best day to be out looking for jobs near me hiring – it’s a day to stay off the roads.
In the last few days, the West has seen a multi-day event of snowfall.
Idaho: saw historic snowfall, and on Monday, the National Weather Service (NWS) tweeted they had not “issued a winter weather product in June and at least 15 years.” The NWS in Boise tweeted: “Is this June? Tamarack Ski Resort is up to a storm total of 17″ at 6600ft, Bogus Basin is around 8″. And Brundage has around 15″.”
Wyoming: Up to 6 inches or higher was expected locally, with winds up to 50 mph and wind chills in the teens. In Cheyenne, Wyoming, the NWS issued a hazardous travel warning between Arlington in Cheyenne.
Montana: Winter weather in June is less rare for Montana than other places, it happens about once every decade. Apparently, this is that decade. Heavy snow and accumulation led to some power outages on Monday. The NWS in Billings posted photos of “winter in June this morning in Butte.” A day earlier, the NWS in Medford wrote “A record cold storm pushed through yda with 9″ of snow–daily record for June 7.”
Utah: ABC4 News in Salt Lake City wrote: “On Friday, we reached 100° for the first time this year & earliest 100 ever. Two days later, we dropped 40°.” The network reported that over a foot of power fell to some of the areas ski resorts in a hard freeze warning was in effect as of Tuesday.
The National Weather Service has forecast up to 8-9 inches of snow for areas above 10,000 feet, while lower elevations could see accumulation between 2-4 inches.
However, the snow isn’t the biggest concern on Tuesday, it’s the strong and potentially damaging winds. Fierce gusts up to 70 mph are possible across the eastern plains, while along the I-25 corridor, wind gusts are anticipated to reach between 50-60 mph.
