Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
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.
Some impressive easterly gusts were seen today, with the summit of Crystal gusting to over 100 mph with a summit temperature around zero. Timberline saw east winds peaking above 60 mph today at 6000 ft.
Upper level ridging over the NE Pacific will build into British 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
Olympics
| Wednesday |
Mostly sunny. Very cold. Breezy east winds easing this afternoon. |
| Wednesday Night |
Mostly clear. |
| Thursday |
Mostly cloudy with mainly mid and high clouds. |
| Thursday Night |
Cloudy with occasional light snow showers. |
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 with mainly high clouds. Mostly sunny south Cascades. |
| Thursday Night |
Cloudy with occasional light snow showers north Cascades. Becoming mostly cloudy central and south Cascades. |
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 with periods of high clouds. Mostly sunny southeast Cascades. |
| Thursday Night |
Mostly cloudy with occasional light snow showers northeast Cascades. Becoming mostly cloudy central and southeast Cascades. |
Mt. Hood Area
| Wednesday |
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: 2:42 PM 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: 2:42 PM PST Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | ENE 5 - 15 |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | N 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | NW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| 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 Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | E 15 - 30 |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | E 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | --- - |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| 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 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 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 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 Afternoon - Wednesday Evening | --- - |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| 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 Afternoon | NE 15 - 30 | 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 Afternoon | NE 15 - 30 |
| Wednesday Night | NE 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | N 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | W 10 - 20 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| 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 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 Afternoon | --- - |
| Wednesday Night | --- - |
| Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| 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.
Issued: 2:42 PM PST Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Extended Weather Synopsis for Saturday night through Saturday
Moisture will continue to mainly affect the Olympics and north Cascades on Friday with periods of very light snow while less cloud cover and precipitation should be seen further south.
The upper level low off the British Columbia coast will retrograde Friday night and upper level ridging will temporarily build over eastern WA as the northern and southern branches of the jet begin to merge. This should keep precipitation at bay through much of Saturday. A shortwave rotating up from the south on Saturday afternoon will finally spread light precipitation over Mt. Hood and then to the Cascades Saturday evening. Strong east winds will keep cold air flowing through the Passes.
A Pacific front will sweep through on Sunday, bringing a more moderate round of precipitation and finally mixing in some milder Pacific air. There could be a period of mixed precipitation, especially for the Cascade foothills along the west slopes late Saturday night or Sunday morning.
Extended Weather
Olympics, Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood
Mostly cloudy Olympics and Cascades with periods of very light rain and snow central and north Washington Cascades. Partly to mostly sunny Mt. Hood.
Partly to mostly cloudy.
Cloudy with light to occasionally moderate snow Mt. Hood. Partly to mostly cloudy Olympics and Cascades. Strong east gap winds.
Periods of light rain and snow. Warming trend Olympics.
Light to occasionally moderate rain and snow south part spreading north. Milder. Period of mixed precipitation possible west slopes of the Cascades late Saturday night or Sunday morning.
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday - Saturday Morning | Snow Level | 0' - 1000' | 0' - 0' | 0' - 0' | * |
| Saturday Afternoon | Snow Level | 1000' - 2000' | 0' - 0' | 0' - 0' | * |
| Saturday Night | Snow Level | 1000' - 2000' | 1000' - 2000' | 1500' - 2500' | * |
| Sunday | Snow Level | 2500' - 3500' | 2000' - 4000' | 4500' - 5500' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday - Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 1000' - 2000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 1000' - 2000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 2500' - 3500' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday - Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 0' - 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 0' - 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 1000' - 2000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 2000' - 4000' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday - Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 0' - 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 0' - 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 1500' - 2500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 4500' - 5500' |
* 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.
Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
Previous forecast from Jan 4, 2017
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