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
Today is turning into another warm and mostly sunny January day in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Mountain weather stations are once again in the 50s and even low 60s at Paradise on Mt. Rainier. The exception is near Snoqualmie Pass...where persistent easterly flow continue to drag low clouds through for the immediate pass area and keep temperatures cool.
The strong upper level ridge will continue to sit along the west coast today...and shift inland overnight. A weak front will approach the Washington coast on Saturday. This should spread increasing high clouds late Friday night and then during the day Saturday as well as increase the upper level winds for the Olympics and north Cascades by the afternoon. The front is forecast to stall and decay offshore Saturday night with the main energy directed into central B.C. Weak onshore flow should allow some lower and mid level moisture into western Washington Saturday night for increasing clouds.
Weather Forecast
Olympics, Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie, and White Passes
| Friday Afternoon |
Warm and mostly sunny. Locally cooler in the passes, and mostly cloudy at Snoqualmie pass. |
| Friday Night |
Mostly clear with some high clouds. Patchy valley fog. Mostly cloudy Snoqualmie Pass. |
| Saturday |
Partly to mostly sunny with increasing mid and high level clouds Olympics in the afternoon. |
| Saturday Night |
Partly to mostly cloudy. Slightly cooler. |
East slopes of the Washington Cascades
| Friday Afternoon |
Warm and mostly sunny with some passing high clouds. |
| Friday Night |
Mostly clear with some high clouds. Patchy valley fog. |
| Saturday |
Mostly sunny except becoming partly cloudy with increasing high and mid level clouds northeast Cascades late in the afternoon. |
| Saturday Night |
Partly cloudy. Slightly cooler. |
Mt. Hood Area
| Friday Afternoon |
Warm and mostly sunny with some passing high clouds. |
| Friday Night |
Mostly clear with some high clouds. Patchy valley fog. |
| Saturday |
Partly to mostly sunny. |
| Saturday Night |
Partly cloudy. Slightly cooler. |
Issued: 1:39 PM PST Friday, January 17, 2014
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Saturday Morning | Freezing Level | 11500' | ' | ' | ' | ' | 11500' | ' | 12000' |
| Saturday Afternoon | Freezing Level | 10000' | ' | ' | ' | ' | 10000' | ' | 11000' |
| Saturday Night | Freezing Level | 9000' | ' | ' | ' | ' | 9500' | ' | 10500' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level 11500' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 10000' |
| Saturday Night |
Freezing Level 9000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level ' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level ' |
| Saturday Night |
Freezing Level ' |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level ' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level ' |
| Saturday Night |
Freezing Level ' |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level ' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level ' |
| Saturday Night |
Freezing Level ' |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level ' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level ' |
| Saturday Night |
Freezing Level ' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level 11500' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 10000' |
| Saturday Night |
Freezing Level 9500' |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level ' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level ' |
| Saturday Night |
Freezing Level ' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level 12000' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 11000' |
| Saturday Night |
Freezing Level 10500' |
* 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: 1:39 PM PST Friday, January 17, 2014
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Evening | W 0 - 10 | --- - | W 0 - 10 | --- - | SW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | SW 15 - 25 | --- - | SW 5 - 15 | --- - | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 5 - 15 | --- - | SW 10 - 20 | --- - | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Night | WSW 5 - 15 | --- - | W 5 - 15 | --- - | W 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Evening | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | SW 15 - 25 |
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Night | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Evening | --- - |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | --- - |
| Saturday Afternoon | --- - |
| Saturday Night | --- - |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Evening | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | W 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Evening | --- - |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | --- - |
| Saturday Afternoon | --- - |
| Saturday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Evening | SW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Night | W 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Evening | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | SW 15 - 25 |
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Night | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Evening | --- - |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | --- - |
| Saturday Afternoon | --- - |
| Saturday Night | --- - |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Evening | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | W 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Evening | --- - |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | --- - |
| Saturday Afternoon | --- - |
| Saturday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Evening | SW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night - Saturday Morning | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | --- - | --- - | NW 15 - 25 | --- - | NNW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Morning | --- - | --- - | SW 15 - 25 | --- - | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Afternoon | --- - | --- - | WSW 25 - 35 | --- - | W 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | --- - | --- - | WSW 20 - 30 | --- - | W 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | --- - |
| Saturday Morning | --- - |
| Saturday Afternoon | --- - |
| Saturday Night | --- - |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | --- - |
| Saturday Morning | --- - |
| Saturday Afternoon | --- - |
| Saturday Night | --- - |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | NW 15 - 25 |
| Saturday Morning | SW 15 - 25 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Saturday Night | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | --- - |
| Saturday Morning | --- - |
| Saturday Afternoon | --- - |
| Saturday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | NNW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Afternoon | W 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | W 15 - 25 |
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: 1:39 PM PST Friday, January 17, 2014
Extended Weather Synopsis for Saturday night through Saturday
The ridge should remain temporarily flattened on Sunday with somewhat lower freezing levels. Moisture that comes inland Saturday night should make for at least a partly cloudy day along the west slopes on Sunday. No precipitation is expected on Sunday. Mostly sunny conditions are expected further east and south. The upper level ridge should begin amplify just offshore early Monday. This should lead to increasing freezing levels Monday afternoon through Tuesday. Easterly gradients should increase on Monday as well...for more sustained easterly flow through the passes.
Extended Weather
Olympics, Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie, and White Passes
Partly to mostly cloudy.
Mild and mostly clear.
East slopes of the Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood Area
Partly cloudy.
Mild and mostly clear.
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday - Sunday Night | Freezing Level | ' - ' | 8000' - 9500' | 10000' - 11000' | |
| Monday | Freezing Level | ' - ' | 9500' - 10500' | 10000' - 11000' | |
| Monday Night - Tuesday | Freezing Level | ' - ' | 11000' - 12000' | 11000' - 12000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday - Sunday Night |
Freezing Level ' - ' |
| Monday |
Freezing Level ' - ' |
| Monday Night - Tuesday |
Freezing Level ' - ' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday - Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 8000' - 9500' |
| Monday |
Freezing Level 9500' - 10500' |
| Monday Night - Tuesday |
Freezing Level 11000' - 12000' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday - Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 10000' - 11000' |
| Monday |
Freezing Level 10000' - 11000' |
| Monday Night - Tuesday |
Freezing Level 11000' - 12000' |
* 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 17, 2014
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.