Multiple storm systems moving east from the Pacific Ocean will impact North America this week.

Along the west coast, the barrage of storms has already brought heavy rainfall and flooding to California, with some locations witnessing new daily records for rainfall on February 16, 2026.

In the nearby higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada, heavy snow is falling in the mountains, resulting in whiteout conditions and the shutting down of roads. These storms are expected to bring multiple feet of snow to the region.

Further east in the Rocky Mountains, states such as Utah and Colorado are forecasted to get much-needed reprieve with the winter weather. As of February 1, 2026, the Western US is experiencing the worst snowpack in many years, including record lows in several states.

The impact of the storms will extend beyond the Western US, as winter weather descends upon the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions, with some parts of the Northern Plains experiencing blizzard conditions.

High winds are also wreaking havoc on the Plains. Strong winds have lead to swaths of blowing dust being kicked up, resulting in a multi-car pileup in Colorado. On February 17, the Storm Prediction Center issued an extreme risk risk for the High Plains due to the presence of the strong winds combined with dry atmospheric conditions. Later that day, the combination of those two factors lead to the outbreak of several wildfires. One of the fires, the Ranger Road Fire in the Oklahoma panhandle, ignited and quickly grew to 15,000 acres in a few short hours.

For more information, visit the Storm Prediction Center, Weather Prediction Center, and the National Weather Service.