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Weather Synopsis for Wednesday & Saturday
An elongated E-W oriented upper level trough over central Oregon is causing some light snow for Mt. Hood and the far south Washington Cascades this morning. This trough will drift south during the the day and weaken, allowing for a clearing trend over these areas.
Further north, it's clear and very cold. East winds will be moderate to strong at Pass and crest level today. Winds should ease over the north Cascades this morning but stay elevated for the south and central Washington Cascades through mid-afternoon.
Upper level ridging over the NE Pacific will build into Britsh Columbia overnight turning our flow aloft northerly and allowing winds to ease over the region.
A weak shortwave upstream in NW flow aloft will begin to slide south along the B.C. coast Thursday, spreading increasing clouds into the north Cascades and Olympics and producing a few light snow showers through Thursday night. Temperatures should slowly moderate on Thursday and Thursday night.
Weather Forecast
Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie, and White Passes
| Wednesday |
Mostly sunny, except partly cloudy with very light snow far south Washington Cascades this morning. Very cold. Moderate to strong east winds at Pass level and along ridges, easing over the north Cascades this morning but staying strong from Snoqualmie Pass and south through mid-afternoon. |
| Wednesday Night |
Mostly clear. |
| Thursday |
Mostly cloudy north Cascades. Mostly sunny south Cascades. |
| Thursday Night |
Cloudy with occasional light snow showers north Cascades. Becoming mostly cloudy central and south Cascades. |
Olympics
| Wednesday |
Mostly sunny. Very cold. Breezy east winds easing this afternoon. |
| Wednesday Night |
Mostly clear. |
| Thursday |
Mostly cloudy. |
| Thursday Night |
Cloudy with occasional light snow showers. |
East slopes of the Washington Cascades
| Wednesday |
Mostly sunny, except partly cloudy with very light snow far southeast Washington Cascades this morning. Very cold. Moderate to strong east winds at crest level easing in the northeast Cascades by mid-day but staying strong south and central east Cascades through mid-afternoon. |
| Wednesday Night |
Mostly clear. |
| Thursday |
Partly to mostly cloudy northeast Cascades. Mostly sunny southeat Cascades. |
| Thursday Night |
Mostly cloudy with occasional light snow showers northeast Cascades. Becoming mostly cloudy central and southeast Cascades. |
Mt. Hood Area
| Wednesday Morning |
Mostly cloudy with light snow showers ending mid-day and becoming partly to mostly sunny in the afternoon. Very cold. Moderate to strong east winds easing slightly in the afternoon. |
| Wednesday Night |
Mostly clear. |
| Thursday |
Mostly sunny. |
| Thursday Night |
Becoming mostly cloudy overnight. |
Issued: 7:03 AM PST Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday - Thursday | Freezing Level * | 0' | 0' | 0' | ' | ' | 0' | ' | 0' |
| Thursday Night | Snow Level * | 1000' | 0' | 0' | ' | ' | 0' | ' | 0' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday - Thursday |
Freezing Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday - Thursday |
Freezing Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday - Thursday |
Freezing Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday - Thursday |
Freezing Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday - Thursday |
Freezing Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday - Thursday |
Freezing Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday - Thursday |
Freezing Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday - Thursday |
Freezing Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
* Easterly flow in the Cascade Passes can cause locally lower Snow or Freezing levels than areas further west.
Freezing Level is when no precipitation is forecast.
Precipitation Forecast
| Saturday | Saturday | |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ridge | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Washington Pass | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Stevens Pass | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Mission Ridge | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Crystal Mt | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Paradise | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| White Pass | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Timberline | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
LT = less than; WE or Water equivalent is the liquid water equivalent of melted snow in hundredths of inches. As a rough approximation 1 inch of snow = about .10 inches WE, or 10 inches of snow = about 1 inch WE.
Issued: 7:03 AM PST Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | ENE 15 - 30 | ENE 15 - 25 | E 25 - 40 | --- - | E 30 - 45 |
| Wednesday Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | ENE 5 - 15 | ENE 10 - 20 | E 15 - 30 | --- - | E 20 - 30 |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | N 0 - 10 | VAR 0 - 10 | E 0 - 10 | --- - | E 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | NW 5 - 15 | SW 0 - 10 | SW 0 - 10 | --- - | W 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | ENE 15 - 30 |
| Wednesday Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | ENE 5 - 15 |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | N 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | NW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | ENE 15 - 25 |
| Wednesday Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | ENE 10 - 20 |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | E 25 - 40 |
| Wednesday Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | E 15 - 30 |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | E 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | --- - |
| Wednesday Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | --- - |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | E 30 - 45 |
| Wednesday Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | E 20 - 30 |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | E 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | W 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | ENE 15 - 30 |
| Wednesday Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | ENE 5 - 15 |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | N 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | NW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | ENE 15 - 25 |
| Wednesday Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | ENE 10 - 20 |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | E 25 - 40 |
| Wednesday Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | E 15 - 30 |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | E 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | --- - |
| Wednesday Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | --- - |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | E 30 - 45 |
| Wednesday Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | E 20 - 30 |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | E 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | W 0 - 10 |
Directions above indicate the direction the wind blows from on the 16-point cardinal scale. These winds indicate "free" winds, or those winds in the atmosphere not influenced by terrain. Topographical effects may produce greater or lower wind speeds in certain locations as well as significant variations in direction.
Free Winds at 9000' (mph)
| Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | ENE 35 - 50 | ENE 30 - 45 | E 40 - 60 | --- - | E 40 - 60 |
| Wednesday Afternoon | NE 15 - 25 | NE 10 - 20 | ENE 30 - 50 | --- - | E 35 - 45 |
| Wednesday Night | NE 10 - 20 | NE 5 - 15 | NE 15 - 30 | --- - | E 35 - 45 |
| Thursday Morning | N 5 - 15 | NW 5 - 15 | NE 5 - 15 | --- - | NE 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | W 10 - 20 | W 10 - 20 | NW 10 - 20 | --- - | NW 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | ENE 35 - 50 |
| Wednesday Afternoon | NE 15 - 25 |
| Wednesday Night | NE 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | N 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | W 10 - 20 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | ENE 30 - 45 |
| Wednesday Afternoon | NE 10 - 20 |
| Wednesday Night | NE 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Morning | NW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | W 10 - 20 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | E 40 - 60 |
| Wednesday Afternoon | ENE 30 - 50 |
| Wednesday Night | NE 15 - 30 |
| Thursday Morning | NE 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | NW 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | --- - |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- - |
| Wednesday Night | --- - |
| Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Morning | E 40 - 60 |
| Wednesday Afternoon | E 35 - 45 |
| Wednesday Night | E 35 - 45 |
| Thursday Morning | NE 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | NW 10 - 20 |
Directions above indicate the direction the wind blows from on the 16-point cardinal scale. These winds indicate "free" winds, or those winds in the atmosphere not influenced by terrain. Topographical effects may produce greater or lower wind speeds in certain locations as well as significant variations in direction.
Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k
Previous forecast from Dec 30, 2016
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