Frost formation is likely early today in eastern Essex and Union counties, Hudson County and portions of Nassau County, with advisories in effect until 9 a.m. EDT. Most neighborhoods inside the five boroughs should only see patchy frost, but suburban gardens and community plots are more exposed and easier to damage.
The storm already underway across most of the state keeps snow going through today, then winds down overnight and early Wednesday. The guidance is well clustered on that timing and on snow levels holding between 6,500 and 8,500 feet while it is snowing.
Cody Townsend has called Recent Imagery 'the most useful tool for finding snow.' He notes that it will not tell you snow quality, but it does show 'where it's melted out or freshly coated' and helps plan missions efficiently.
If the lake level drops below 3,490 feet - termed the minimum power pool - the turbines that generate electricity have to be shut down. When the water level reaches critically low thresholds, air is sucked down like a whirlpool into the penstocks, forming explosive bubbles which can cause massive failure inside the dam.
Avalanches kill about 100 people in Europe each year, with vast masses of ice, snow and rock regularly crashing down on hikers and skiers who have been caught unawares. The structure of the snow, angle of the slope and variation of the weather can dictate whether a gentle disturbance like a gust of wind or the glide of a snowboard can trigger a deadly shift in the mountain.
To get back to average snowpack, we essentially need to have the most snow that we've ever had for the last 30 years between now and mid-April. It would be extremely difficult for Colorado to get back to a normal/average snowpack. As an example, when looking at the Independence Pass SNOTEL site in central Colorado outside of Aspen, we typically have 13 inches of snow-water-equivalent at the end of February. This year, we only have 6.7 inches of SWE.
Last week alone, parts of western Switzerland were buried under 1 to 1.5 meters (3 to 5 feet) of snow. Another meter fell this week in some regions, pushing fresh storm totals to as much as 2.5 meters (8 feet). The new snow has helped erase what had been a snow-poor winter in the west, with snow depths in some areas now well above seasonal averages.
Being a snow groomer can be seen as a thankless job at a ski resort; however, it is one of many jobs that must be done and is vital to operations. It involves long nights, being alone in a snowcat, and pushing snow around the mountain for eight or more hours. However, for the right person, it has also been described as one of the best jobs on the mountain.
Vail Mountain has recorded its lowest snowpack in 47 years, with just 67 inches of snow so far this season. It has been a tough season so far for many resorts located in the Rockies and out West. "We experienced one of the worst early-season snowfalls in the Western U.S. in over 30 years," Rob Katz, Chief Executive Officer, said in a press release. This has limited Vail Mountain and other resorts from opening new terrain and has decreased skier visits.
Images on social media show snowed-in cars, mountains of marshmallow powder, and landscapes buried under deep midwinter snow. In many of these areas, one would need to look back to 1999 to find thicker snow cover in February. In other words, this is an unprecedented post-2000 snow situation in most of France. However in 2018, the historic "Beast from the East" storm cycle delivered extraordinary totals to resorts in the south of France. Still, for much of northern Savoie and Haute-Savoie, February 2026 stands out as one of the most impressive snow periods in nearly three decades.
WeatherA multi-day storm cycle targets the Alps this week, then reloads with colder air next weekend while snow chances continue into midweek. The western Alps look like the main winners overall, with frequent snowfall pulses and the deepest totals at higher elevations. Snow levels run high enough at times midweek to keep lower villages on the edge of wet snow or rain, then they drop sharply heading into the weekend.
