US agencies issue winter storm warnings as snow forecasts widen
The gist
US agencies issued November winter storm warnings for five states and forecast 8–12 inches of snow in Alaska.
Forecasters say the storm's track is still uncertain, so snow totals could shift.
How it unfolded
- Nov 5, 2026Direct Weather's updated 2026-27 US snowfall forecast shows the Pacific Northwest with higher odds of above-average snowfall, and California's Sierra Nevada with even better odds.
- Nov 5, 2026Japan's snow forecast favors cold and repeated snowfall from Friday night, November 6, through Wednesday, November 11, with the largest accumulations in Hokkaido.
- Nov 7, 2026A newly released NOAA forecast map indicates heavy snow is projected to affect three states heading into next week.
Key terms
- clipper-type system
- A fast-moving low-pressure weather system originating near Alberta, Canada, that tracks southeast across southern Canada and the northern United States.
- lake-effect snow
- Weather produced when cold air moves over warmer lake water, picking up moisture that falls as precipitation downwind.
- atmospheric river
- A narrow corridor of concentrated moisture in the atmosphere that transports water vapor.
Source: Wikipedia