After quite the lull over the last month, a pattern flip will take place along the West Coast early this week, as storms bring in periods of rain, showers and even feet of mountain snow for some.
As winter storms have plagued other parts of the country since the start of 2026, much of the West has experienced a notably subdued pattern in recent weeks. At the same time, parts of the East are getting one of their most active winters in roughly five years. This imbalance is evident at ski resorts across the country with snowpack across New England resorts near 130% of normal, while many California resorts remain below 40% of average in comparison.
An extended dry stretch coming to an end
A northward bend in the jet stream has ushered in moderate temperatures and generally dry air masses into California, Arizona, Nevada and surrounding states over the last month or so. Storm activity has proved to be lacking under this regime.
California cities such as San Francisco, Redding, Fresno and Los Angeles have recorded temperature departures between 2-4 degrees Fahrenheit above historical averages since the start of the year. For many locations, rainfall totals since Jan. 1 are running behind, ranging between 30-55% of their typical norm by this point in the year.
“A high pressure system has been parked over California for the last month. This has kept rain and snow primarily over the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia from much of January through the beginning of February, while California remained warm and dry,” noted AccuWeather Meteorologist Kai Kerkow…