Chilly, unsettled weather to persist in western U.S. into next week

Below-normal temperatures will accompany bouts of rain and snow across the western United States through next week.

"A stormy pattern with chilly air will continue for the Pacific states and into the Southwest through the middle of next week and beyond," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jack Boston said.

While California residents can breath a sigh of relief that no storms bringing a repeat of last week's wind, rain and snow are forecast, the chilly, unsettled weather can put a damper on continued cleanup and power restoration efforts.

A cold system will dive southward along the Pacific Coast into the end the weekend.

Through Sunday, an additional 1-2 feet of snow may pile up across the highest terrain of the Sierra Nevada, including Donner Pass, on top of the mountains of snow that fell last week.

This will add further strain to mountain towns struggling to find places to pile the snow and crews trying to keep roads clear.

So much snow fell late this past week that several routes to Lake Tahoe were shut down, forcing skiers to cancel plans, according to the Associated Press.

Related: Winter storms and weather across the United States — January 2019

Those who do venture into the Sierra Nevada into early week will need to use extreme caution as roads are likely to remain treacherous and the avalanche danger will remain high.

Travelers over Interstate 5's Siskiyou Summit in Oregon will also need to be cautious of snow-covered, slippery roadways into Sunday.

In Southern California, snow levels will drop to around 1,500-2,000 feet by Sunday night, which can allow accumulating snow in the foothills and some valleys areas, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Smerbeck.

The low snow levels can create travel difficulties for people driving through the Grapevine and along portions of highways 14 and 138, with reduced visibility and snowy, icy roads possible.

Gusty winds will cause any snowfall to blow and drift.

People in and around Flagstaff, Arizona, will also have to contend with snowy conditions this weekend, with the heaviest snowfall and worst travel conditions expected on Sunday night.

Outside of the wintry conditions, rain showers, with perhaps a few rumbles of thunder, will sweep along the California coast and Central Valley through the weekend.

Any thunderstorms that do pop up can produce small hail, in addition to frequent lightning.

Cold air will settle in behind the storm, with record lows possible from Redding to Sacramento, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, California, early in the week.

"Temperatures will average 5-15 degrees Fahrenheit below normal through next week across the much of the West," Boston said.

As the Pacific states dry out early in the week, the cold, along with the threat for snow and slippery travel, will spread into Denver and Albuquerque, New Mexico, Monday into Tuesday.

The dry break for the West Coast will only be brief, however, as a new storm will sweep southward with rain and snow showers during the middle and latter part of the week.

This next storm will return snowfall to the Sierra and Southern California mountains, and could unleash significant snowfall in the Four Corners region.

Las Vegas has the potential to record its second snowfall of the season with this event.