Even though it’s almost mid-May, wintry weather is coming to some Western states this week.
A series of low-pressure systems off the Pacific Ocean will produce several rounds of snowfall in the Cascades and Rockies over the next few days. This isn’t unusual in the spring, but it could slow truckers just a bit on some routes.
The latest forecast models show most of the accumulating snowfall spreading across the northern Rockies in Idaho and Montana, where totals may reach 6 to 12 inches. Major highways in this region are Interstates 15 and 90, as well as US-2. Some mountain spots just west of Denver could see up to 8 inches of total snowfall this week, with slick conditions possible on sections of Interstate 70.
The Denver freight market is the only one in the potential snowfall zone that has decent outbound volumes. The FreightWaves map below shows the outbound tender volume index (OTVI) for each market, and Denver has a modest amount of outbound freight available.
Other notable weather this week
There’s a risk of rollovers Monday afternoon and evening from western Nevada into eastern California and southern Oregon. Wind gusts from the southwest will reach 45 to 55 mph, making travel especially difficult for drivers who are deadheading or carrying light loads.
Several inches of snowfall across northern Maine Monday night could affect drivers on US-1. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter weather advisory for Aroostook and Somerset counties along the Canadian border.
Severe thunderstorms could pop up Monday across the western half of Texas into eastern New Mexico. Isolated tornadoes, large hail and quick bursts of wind are possible. On Wednesday, severe storms could develop over a larger area, from western Texas to Nebraska and Iowa.
Have a great day! Please stay healthy and be careful out there!
