As Widespread Cold Hits the U.S., the Virginias Brace for Feet of Snow
Well over a foot of snow is possible in Virginia and West Virginia this weekend, benefiting local skiers and making for tricky driving conditions, as frigid temperatures also hit other states across the U.S.
Much of Virginia and West Virginia face National Weather Service Winter Storm Watches. One, which covers one of the region’s best-known ski resorts, Snowshoe Mountain, calls for between ten and 15 inches of snow starting Saturday morning.
The agency cautioned that travel amid the wintry weather could be very difficult or “impossible,” with gusty winds that could bring down tree branches.
OpenSnow, a forecasting service favored by snowsports fans, tallied the highest five-day snowfall totals alongside its Mid-Atlantic forecast, providing another look at which ski resorts could get buried later this week.
Some totals eclipse those anticipated by the National Weather Service. Keep reading for a storm breakdown. Get excited, skiers!
The 2026 POWDER Photo Annual is here! Look for a print copy on a newsstand near you, or click here to have a copy shipped directly to your front door.
Snowshoe Mountain
Virginia Forecasted Powder Totals
- Homestead, Virginia: 27 inches
- Wintergreen, Virginia: 26 inches
- Massanutten, Virginia: 22 inches
- Canaan Valley, West Virginia: 19 inches
- Snowshoe, West Virginia: 19 inches
P
“This particular winter storm, forecast to begin this weekend, is on track to deliver substantial snowfall to every ski area on the East Coast,” said OpenSnow forecaster Zach Butler in a news release.
“Some resorts in the southern Appalachians could see two feet of snow. Resorts in the Northeast—particularly in New York—could also receive significant lake-effect snow, building on their already strong base depths and pushing some well above their average annual snowfall, which is in stark contrast to what is happening in the West,” Butler continued, nodding to the thin snowpack in states like Utah and Colorado.
The most powdery locale, though? It’s still the Virginias, according to OpenSnow.
“The best bet for heavy snow and to see more than two feet will be northern North Carolina and southern West Virginia/Virginia,” the forecasters noted. “However, there is the chance for an ice storm for the southern Appalachians if the track shifts a bit north.”
Widespread Cold
The potential for deep snow in Virginia arrives as other states are bracing for frigid weather. Around the Great Lakes, Extreme Cold Warnings are in effect, with overnight temperatures set to plunge well into the negatives. The National Weather Service has even called for snow in parts of Texas.
"Potentially hundreds of thousands of people may go without electricity and heat for days,” AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter said, in an article published by the outlet.
What about skiers in the West, though? It looks mostly dry in California, Oregon, and Washington, for now, according to meteorologist Chris Tomer. But, Tomer noted, a storm may deliver feet of much-needed snow to ski resorts across Colorado starting on January 23.