Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
Weather Synopsis for Thursday & Wednesday
Another very cold and breezy day is in store for the mountains of the Pacific Northwest on Thursday; many NWAC stations once again came in this morning near or below zero. An elongated longwave trough of low pressure is oriented E-W across the northern US and offshore surface pressure gradients continue to push cold air west of the Cascades and toward the coast. The upper low should hang around Vancouver Island through the short term period...keeping the storm track further south into Oregon. East winds will be strongest for the central Cascades near the passes with the winds extending up to crest level before easing off tonight.
A weather system will track across Oregon today...delivering light to moderate snow to Mt. Hood with light snow extending north into the south Washington Cascades. The system should track east overnight, leaving the area in a relative break on Friday. Another system should track in the same manner Friday night...bringing another round of light to moderate snow mainly to Mt. Hood. There is some uncertainty to how far north light snow will extend into Washington.
Weather Forecast
Mt. Hood Area
| Thursday Morning |
Light snow developing. Cold. |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Night |
Light to moderate snow easing to light snow showers after midnight. Cold. |
| Friday |
Periods of light snow. |
| Friday Night |
Light to moderate snow developing overnight. |
East slopes of the Washington Cascades
| Thursday - Thursday Night |
Mostly cloudy with occasional light snow or flurries near and south of I-90. Partly cloudy north. Cold. |
| Friday |
Mostly cloudy south part, partly cloudy north. Cold. |
| Friday Night |
Mostly cloudy with occasional light snow or flurries near and south of I-90. Partly cloudy north. Cold. |
Southwest Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Snoqualmie and White Pass
| Thursday - Thursday Night |
Mostly cloudy with occasional light snow or flurries mainly south of I-90. Cold. |
| Friday |
Mostly cloudy. Cold. |
| Friday Night |
Mostly cloudy with occasional light snow or flurries mainly south of I-90. |
Olympics, Northwest Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens Pass
| Thursday - Thursday Night |
Partly cloudy north part, mostly cloudy further south Thursday morning becoming mostly cloudy everywhere in the afternoon. Cold. |
| Friday |
Partly cloudy. Cold. |
| Friday Night |
Partly cloudy becoming mostly cloudy overnight. |
Issued: 7:24 AM PST Thursday, February 6, 2014
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday - Friday Night | Snow Level * | 0' | ' | ' | ' | ' | 0' | ' | 0' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday - Friday Night |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday - Friday Night |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday - Friday Night |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday - Friday Night |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday - Friday Night |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday - Friday Night |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday - Friday Night |
Snow Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday - Friday 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
| Wednesday | Wednesday | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 0 - 0.50 | 0 - 0.50 |
| Timberline | 0.25 - 0.50 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
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: 7:24 AM PST Thursday, February 6, 2014
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | E 5 - 15 | --- - | ESE 30 - 40 | --- - | E 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Evening | VAR 0 - 10 | --- - | ESE 20 - 30 | --- - | E 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night - Friday | E 0 - 10 | --- - | SW 5 - 15 | --- - | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Night | E 5 - 15 | --- - | ESE 15 - 25 | --- - | E 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday | E 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Evening | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night - Friday | E 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night | E 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday | --- - |
| Thursday Evening | --- - |
| Thursday Night - Friday | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday | ESE 30 - 40 |
| Thursday Evening | ESE 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Night - Friday | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Night | ESE 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday | --- - |
| Thursday Evening | --- - |
| Thursday Night - Friday | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday | E 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Evening | E 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night - Friday | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Night | E 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday | E 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Evening | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night - Friday | E 0 - 10 |
| Friday Night | E 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday | --- - |
| Thursday Evening | --- - |
| Thursday Night - Friday | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday | ESE 30 - 40 |
| Thursday Evening | ESE 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Night - Friday | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Night | ESE 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday | --- - |
| Thursday Evening | --- - |
| Thursday Night - Friday | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday | E 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Evening | E 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night - Friday | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Night | E 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | --- - | --- - | S 5 - 15 | --- - | W 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Evening | --- - | --- - | S 5 - 15 | --- - | SW 35 - 45 |
| Thursday Night | --- - | --- - | NW 20 - 30 | --- - | NW 15 - 25 |
| Friday | --- - | --- - | W 15 - 25 | --- - | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Friday Night | --- - | --- - | S 5 - 15 | --- - | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Evening | --- - |
| Thursday Night | --- - |
| Friday | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Evening | --- - |
| Thursday Night | --- - |
| Friday | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | S 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Evening | S 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | NW 20 - 30 |
| Friday | W 15 - 25 |
| Friday Night | S 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Evening | --- - |
| Thursday Night | --- - |
| Friday | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | W 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Evening | SW 35 - 45 |
| Thursday Night | NW 15 - 25 |
| Friday | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Friday Night | WSW 25 - 35 |
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: 7:24 AM PST Thursday, February 6, 2014
Extended Weather Synopsis for Wednesday night through Wednesday
The storm track should generally stay south over the weekend, again focusing on Mt. Hood and potentially the south Washington Cascades although there is wide disagreement on the timing of additional systems. There seems to be better agreement that a weak Pacific frontal system will approach the Pacific Northwest Sunday night into Monday....bringing more widespread rain and snow to the area.
The very cold temperatures seen across the area this week should moderate slightly over the weekend. Beginning early next week, westerly flow should allow for additional warming with the next round of weather systems.
Extended Weather
Mt. Hood Area
Light to occasionally moderate snow.
Periods of light rain and snow increasing and becoming moderate Sunday night into Monday. Gradual warming trend Sunday through Monday.
Olympics and Washington Cascades
Light to occasionally moderate snow south of Snoqualmie Pass, heaviest closer to the Oregon border. Mostly cloudy north part.
Partly to mostly cloudy with light snow developing south part in the afternoon.
Periods of light rain and snow increasing and becoming moderate Sunday night into Monday. Gradual warming trend Sunday through Monday.
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday - Sunday Morning | Snow Level | ' - ' | 0' - 1000' | 500' - 1500' | * |
| Sunday Afternoon | Snow Level | ' - ' | 1000' - 2000' | 2000' - 3000' | * |
| Sunday Night | Snow Level | ' - ' | 1500' - 2500' | 3000' - 4000' | * |
| Monday | Snow Level | ' - ' | 3000' - 4000' | 4000' - 5000' | * |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday - Sunday Morning |
Snow Level ' - ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' - ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level ' - ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday |
Snow Level ' - ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday - Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 1000' - 2000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 1500' - 2500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday |
Snow Level 3000' - 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday - Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 500' - 1500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 2000' - 3000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 3000' - 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday |
Snow Level 4000' - 5000' (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.
Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
Previous forecast from Feb 2, 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.