Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k
Weather Synopsis for Thursday & Saturday
Light northerly flow will gradually turn northwesterly this afternoon as a weak shortwave upstream along the northern British Columbia coast begins to spread some high clouds into the Olympics and north Cascades later this afternoon. Moderate east winds seen this morning at Mt. Hood should quickly taper down by later this morning. Otherwise another cold and mostly sunny day is in store for most of the PNW.
The shortwave should bring periods of very light snow to the north Cascades and Olympics late tonight through Friday. Clouds should fill in for the south and central Washington Cascades on Friday but Mt. Hood should stay mostly clear.
The parent upper level low off the northern B.C. coast will begin to retrograde well offshore Friday night as upper level ridging temporarily builds over the intermountain West. This will turn temporarily dry us out before the stronger southern branch of the jet stream begins to take aim at the PNW over the weekend. Offshore easterly gradients will begin to increase late Friday night pulling cold air through the Cascade Passes, a trend that will continue on Saturday.
Weather Forecast
Olympics, Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie, and White Passes
| Thursday - Thursday Evening |
Mostly clear with increasing high clouds Olympics and north Cascades in the afternoon and evening. |
| Thursday Night - Friday |
Cloudy Olympics and north Cascades with periods of very light snow. Becoming partly to mostly cloudy south and central Washington Cascades on Friday. |
| Friday Night |
Becoming partly to mostly clear. |
East slopes of the Washington Cascades
| Thursday - Thursday Evening |
Mostly clear with increasing high clouds northeast Cascades in the afternoon and evening. |
| Thursday Night - Friday |
Mostly cloudy northeast Cascades with periods of very light snow. Becoming partly cloudy south and central-east Washington Cascades on Friday. |
| Friday Night |
Becoming mostly clear. |
Mt. Hood Area
| Thursday - Friday Night |
Mostly clear. Moderate east winds Thursday morning easing by late morning. |
Issued: 6:59 AM PST Thursday, January 5, 2017
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Freezing Level * | 1000' | 0' | 0' | ' | ' | 0' | ' | 0' |
| Thursday Night - Friday | Snow Level * | 1500' | 500' | 0' | ' | ' | 0' | ' | 0' |
| Friday Night | Freezing Level * | 1500' | 500' | 0' | ' | ' | 0' | ' | 0' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Freezing Level 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night - Friday |
Snow Level 1500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level 1500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Freezing Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night - Friday |
Snow Level 500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level 500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Freezing Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night - Friday |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Freezing Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night - Friday |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Freezing Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night - Friday |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Freezing Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night - Friday |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Freezing Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night - Friday |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Freezing Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night - Friday |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Night |
Freezing 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: 6:59 AM PST Thursday, January 5, 2017
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | N 0 - 10 | VAR 0 - 10 | E 10 - 20 | --- - | E 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Afternoon | WNW 5 - 15 | SW 0 - 10 | W 0 - 10 | --- - | E 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 10 - 20 | SW 5 - 15 | SW 5 - 15 | --- - | W 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 | S 5 - 15 | SE 0 - 10 | --- - | SE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night | S 10 - 20 | SE 5 - 15 | SE 10 - 20 | --- - | SE 5 - 15 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | N 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Night | S 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | S 5 - 15 |
| Friday Night | SE 5 - 15 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | E 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | W 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | SE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night | SE 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon | --- - |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | --- - |
| Friday Afternoon | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | E 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Afternoon | E 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | SE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night | SE 5 - 15 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | N 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Night | S 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | S 5 - 15 |
| Friday Night | SE 5 - 15 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | E 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | W 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | SE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night | SE 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon | --- - |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | --- - |
| Friday Afternoon | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | E 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Afternoon | E 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | SE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night | SE 5 - 15 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | N 10 - 20 | N 10 - 20 | NE 15 - 25 | --- - | E 30 - 40 |
| Thursday Afternoon | W 10 - 20 | W 5 - 15 | N 10 - 20 | --- - | NNW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 20 - 30 | W 20 - 30 | W 20 - 30 | --- - | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | WSW 15 - 25 | WSW 15 - 25 | W 15 - 25 | --- - | SW 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | N 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | W 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 20 - 30 |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | N 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | W 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 20 - 30 |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | NE 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Afternoon | N 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 20 - 30 |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | W 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon | --- - |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | --- - |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | E 30 - 40 |
| Thursday Afternoon | NNW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | SW 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 Jan 4, 2017
The NWAC program is administered by the USDA-Forest Service and operates from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Seattle. NWAC services are made possible by important collaboration and support from a wide variety of federal, state and private cooperators.