Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
Weather Synopsis for Friday & Saturday
An upper level ridge of high pressure extending from off the California coast through British Columbia and Alberta will amplify later today and tonight steering the storm track well to our north and leaving the PNW mountains mild and dry. High clouds extending from the frontal boundary well to our north should occasionally traverse the area over the next two days. Freezing levels will begin to climb in earnest today with peak warming occurring on Saturday. Easterly flow through the Cascade Passes and to a lesser extent down at Mt. Hood will produce locally cooler conditions with temperature inversions. We are not pulling arctic air over from Eastern Washington and Oregon, so inversions will not be as impressive as those seen earlier this month. Areas of low clouds and fog along the east slopes and in the Cascades Passes will be present over the next two days with little mixing at the surface. Crest level westerly winds for the Washington Cascades will be light to moderate today but increase on Saturday and Saturday night.
Weather Forecast
Olympics, Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie, and White Passes
| Friday Afternoon - Saturday Night |
Mostly sunny days and clear nights with periods of high clouds. Warming trend. Locally cooler with areas of low clouds Cascade Passes and sheltered valleys. |
East slopes of the Washington Cascades
| Friday - Saturday Night |
Mostly sunny days and clear nights with periods of high clouds. Low clouds and areas of fog lower east slopes. Warming trend above the inversion. |
Mt. Hood Area
| Friday - Saturday Night |
Mostly sunny days and clear nights with periods of high clouds. Warming trend. |
Issued: 2:32 PM PST Friday, January 27, 2017
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | Snow Level * | 6500' | 4500' | 4000' | ' | ' | 5500' | ' | 7000' |
| Saturday - Saturday Night | Snow Level * | 8500' | 7000' | 5500' | ' | ' | 8000' | ' | 9000' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Snow Level 6500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level 8500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Snow Level 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level 7000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level 5500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Snow Level 5500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Snow Level 7000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level 9000' (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: 2:32 PM PST Friday, January 27, 2017
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | SW 5 - 15 | SW 5 - 15 | SW 0 - 10 | --- - | S 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | SW 5 - 15 | S 5 - 15 | SW 0 - 10 | --- - | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | SW 10 - 20 | SSW 10 - 20 | SW 0 - 10 | --- - | S 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | S 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | SSW 10 - 20 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday | SW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | SW 0 - 10 |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday | --- - |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | --- - |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday | S 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | S 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | S 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | SSW 10 - 20 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday | SW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | SW 0 - 10 |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday | --- - |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | --- - |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday | S 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | S 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon | W 20 - 30 | W 20 - 30 | W 15 - 25 | --- - | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | W 25 - 35 | W 25 - 35 | W 20 - 30 | --- - | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | SW 25 - 40 | WSW 30 - 40 | SW 25 - 35 | --- - | SW 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon | W 20 - 30 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | W 25 - 35 |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | SW 25 - 40 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon | W 20 - 30 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | W 25 - 35 |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | WSW 30 - 40 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon | W 15 - 25 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | W 20 - 30 |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | SW 25 - 35 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon | --- - |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | --- - |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday 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.
Issued: 2:32 PM PST Friday, January 27, 2017
Extended Weather Synopsis for Saturday night through Saturday
A weak front approaching from the northwest will begin to flatten the ridge on Sunday. Light rain and snow should develop over the Olympics and north Cascades in the afternoon but little to no precipitation is likely further south. Westerly winds will increase out ahead of the front and freezing levels should slowly lower during the day. The front should not pack much of a punch regarding moisture and post-frontal shower activity Sunday night looks minimal. Monday should primarily be a day dry but the weather pattern becomes less certain starting later Monday through midweek.
Forecast models show an upper trough in the northern branch of the jet stream approaching the PNW and merging with southern stream moisture coming up from the S-SW. Precipitation develops along a baroclinic zone along oriented E-W across southern Washington/northern Oregon heading into Tuesday with some moderate snowfall totals indicated for the south Washington Cascades. Also during this stretch, high pressure over northern B.C. begins to slide south Monday night pushing cold air across the Canadian border creating a large N-S temperature gradient over the area. The details are quite uncertain with this pattern so stay tuned.
Extended Weather
Olympics, Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie, and White Passes
Mostly cloudy north Cascades and Olympics with light rain and snow developing in the afternoon. Partly to mostly sunny elsewhere with increasing clouds in the afternoon. West winds increasing during the day. Slight cooling trend.
Light rain and snow transitioning to light rain and snow showers and quickly tapering down Monday morning.
Mostly cloudy.
Light to moderate rain and snow, potentially heavier south Washington Cascades. Cooling trend.
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday Morning | Freezing Level | 5500' - 6500' | 6500' - 7500' | 8000' - 9000' | |
| Sunday Afternoon | Snow Level | 3500' - 4500' | 4500' - 6000' | 6500' - 7500' | |
| Monday | Freezing Level | 3000' - 4000' | 5000' - 6000' | 6000' - 7000' | |
| Monday Night - Tuesday | Snow Level | 500' - 1500' | 2000' - 3000' | 3000' - 4000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Morning |
Freezing Level 5500' - 6500' |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 3500' - 4500' |
| Monday |
Freezing Level 3000' - 4000' |
| Monday Night - Tuesday |
Snow Level 500' - 1500' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Morning |
Freezing Level 6500' - 7500' |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' - 6000' |
| Monday |
Freezing Level 5000' - 6000' |
| Monday Night - Tuesday |
Snow Level 2000' - 3000' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Morning |
Freezing Level 8000' - 9000' |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 6500' - 7500' |
| Monday |
Freezing Level 6000' - 7000' |
| Monday Night - Tuesday |
Snow Level 3000' - 4000' |
* 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 27, 2017
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