A series of snowstorms that began in the Northwest several days ago keeps trucking across the region. Drivers will have to keep chaining up this week as they head through high elevations of the Cascades and northern Rockies. Be prepared for occasional road closures.
Look for moderate to locally major disruptions in supply chains, freight flows and business operations as two more strong cold fronts will produce heavy snowfall and gusty winds. Delays in surface and air transportation are likely at times through this weekend.
Included in the potential impact zone are portions of I-84 in northeastern Oregon in the Blue Mountains, as well as I-90 in Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana. Trouble spots include but are not limited to Snoqualmie, Lookout, Stevens, Marias and McKenzie passes.
The next cold front will slam the region late Tuesday night through Wednesday night, followed by another potential storm Sunday or next Monday. The National Weather Service has issued winter weather alerts for many areas, with another 12 to 24 inches of snowfall possible. Heavy accumulations may also hit southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming, in addition to portions of southern Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. Occasional wind gusts of 40-plus mph will produce blowing snow and whiteout conditions in some spots.
Meanwhile, in the lower elevations and valleys, periods of moderate to heavy rainfall may cause localized flooding. This could slow down drivers on the Interstate 5 corridor from Seattle to Portland, Oregon, as well as the U.S. Highway 101 corridor.
As of Tuesday morning, it looks as if the rest of the country will be spared from major, high-impact snowstorms this week. Forecast updates will be posted on the FreightWaves website and social accounts.
