Pacific Storm Track Brings Heavy Rain and Snow to Western U.S.

A splitting storm track over the northern Pacific will send rounds of drenching rain and mountain snow into California and parts of the interior West through the third week of November 2026, AccuWeather reported.

The evolving weather pattern will push moisture farther south along the U.S. West Coast. AccuWeather forecasts heavy rain and mountain snow every one to three days.

Storms will roll into British Columbia and the northwestern United States for the balance of November. A pocket from California to Nevada is forecast to emerge as a secondary focus for heavier precipitation.

The next storm is projected to arrive in Northern California on Sunday, November 15, and pivot southward to Los Angeles on Monday, November 16. The system will move inland from Monday to Tuesday in Las Vegas and Phoenix.

Late Monday through Monday night, that system will deliver another round of snowfall to the Sierra Nevada. A third storm is scheduled to spread snow from north to south across much of California from next Wednesday, November 18, to Friday, November 20.

The exact timing and track of the most substantial rain and snow with that third storm is still being determined.

Periodic massive offshore swells regularly accompany the stormy conditions that characterize the northern Pacific from November through the winter. These conditions send rounds of large waves toward the coasts of British Columbia and the U.S.

Offshore swells in some of the storms can reach 40 feet, with near-shore waves of 15 to 30 feet on some occasions. Travel delays are expected across affected regions.

Parts of the western U.S. will see their drought conditions progressively eased by this succession of storms lasting into the third week of November and throughout a large portion of the winter. Lake and reservoir levels should continue to ratchet up over the course of the coming months.