TAHOE BASIN, Calif./Nev. – For anyone chasing fresh powder, the forecast may be lining up in your favor. A more active winter pattern is setting up across the Sierra next week, with multiple chances for snow and cooler temperatures returning to the region.

Bryan Allegretto, a forecaster with OpenSnow, says snow showers could return to the Sierra on Monday.

“A weak cold front on Monday could bring snow showers to the northern Sierra, with snow levels around 7,000 feet,” Allegretto wrote on OpenSnow. “That could bring some snow to the roads during the day on Monday if the showers are heavy enough over Donner Pass. There’s a better chance for snow-covered roads Monday night as snow levels drop to around 6,000 feet.”

Forecast models remain split, with some suggesting only light snow showers Tuesday and Wednesday, while others indicate the potential for a more significant storm Tuesday into Tuesday night, Allegretto explained.

“Carry chains and be ready for wintry travel through the northern Sierra starting Monday morning and possibly lasting into Wednesday,” he said.

The National Weather Service is echoing a similar outlook, calling for a more active weather pattern beginning late Sunday night and continuing through next week.

“Snow levels on Sunday start around 7,500 to 8,500 feet,” meteorologists said in their forecast discussion. “By Monday, snow levels drop to around 5,500 to 7,000 feet, and by Monday night into Tuesday, they could fall to near 4,000 feet.”

Temperatures are also expected to cool, returning to seasonal averages for mid-February.

Looking ahead, Allegretto said the region may catch a short break in the storms Thursday and Friday before additional snow showers return around the 14th. Larger systems are possible between the 15th-18th.