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 night through Wednesday
Upper level ridging positioned upstream of the PNW will keep the fair weather going through Thursday. High and mid clouds streaming overhead in NW flow aloft should remain mostly focused from Stevens Pass to the Canadian border through tomorrow with clearer skies expected for the south Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood area.
Temperature inversions will remain in place in the Cascade Passes due to cool and light east flow and also along the east slopes of the Cascades, with much colder air sitting along the lower slopes and valleys. Mild temperatures in the 40s and even a few 50s will continue through tomorrow for higher elevation stations and the general south Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood area.
An approaching weather system will start to lower the freezing level gradually Thursday afternoon with precipitation beginning early in the evening for the north Cascades and Olympics. The front will begin to stand up and become more north-south oriented as a new low pressure system develops along the frontal boundary off the California coast Thursday night. This will slow the onset of precipitation for the south and central Cascades. Snow levels won't lower enough with this system to keep rain out of the forecast for lower elevation sites. Easterly flow through the Passes is not expected to play a significant role in precipitation type.
Weather Forecast
Hurricane Ridge
| Wednesday Night | Mostly cloudy with high clouds. Mild. |
| Thursday | Mostly cloudy with high clouds. Mild. |
Mt. Baker
| Wednesday Night | Mostly cloudy with high clouds. Mild. |
| Thursday | Mostly cloudy with high clouds. Mild. |
Washington Pass and Leavenworth
| Wednesday Night | Mostly cloudy with high clouds. Mild upper slopes. Cool with areas of fog and low clouds lower slopes. |
| Thursday | Partly to mostly cloudy with high clouds. Mild upper slopes. Cool with areas of fog and low clouds lower slopes. |
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass
| Wednesday Night | Partly to mostly cloudy with high clouds. Mild upper slopes. Cool lower slopes. Light east winds in the Passes. |
| Thursday | Partly sunny. Mild upper slopes. Cool lower slopes. Light east winds in the Passes. |
Mt. Rainier, Crystal and White Pass
| Wednesday Night | Partly cloudy with periods of high clouds. Mild. |
| Thursday | Partly to mostly sunny with periods of high clouds. Mild. |
Mt. Hood
| Wednesday Night | Mostly clear. Mild. |
| Thursday | Mostly sunny. Mild. |
Issued: 2:19 PM PST Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | Freezing Level * | 8500' | 7500' | 7500' | 8000' | 8500' | 8500' | 9000' | 9500' |
| Wednesday Night | Freezing Level * | 8500' | 7500' | 7500' | 8000' | 8500' | 8500' | 9000' | 9500' |
| Thursday Morning | Freezing Level * | 8000' | 7000' | 7000' | 7500' | 7500' | 8000' | 8500' | 9000' |
| Thursday Afternoon | Freezing Level * | 7500' | 6500' | 6000' | 7000' | 7000' | 7500' | 8000' | 8500' |
| Thursday Evening | Snow Level * | 6500' | 5500' | 4500' | 5000' | 6000' | 6000' | 6500' | 7500' |
| Thursday Night | Snow Level * | 6000' | 4000' | 3000' | 3500' | 4000' | 5000' | 5000' | 6500' |
| Friday Morning | Snow Level | 5500' | 4500' | 4000' | 4000' | 4500' | 5500' | 5500' | 6500' |
| Friday Afternoon | Snow Level | 5000' | 4500' | 4000' | 4500' | 4500' | 5000' | 5500' | 6000' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 8500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 8500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 6500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 5500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 7000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 5500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 7000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 3000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 7000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 5000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 3500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 8500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 8500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 7000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 8500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 8500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 5000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 5500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 9000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 9000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 8500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 6500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 5000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 5500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5500' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 9500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 9500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 9000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 8500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 6500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 6500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 6000' |
* 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 Night | Wednesday | Wednesday Night | Wednesday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 pm - 4 am | 4 am - 4 pm | 4 pm - 4 am | 4 am - 4 pm | |
| Hurricane Ridge | 0 | 0 | LT 0.25 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | 0 | 0 | 0.25 - 0.50 | 1.00 |
| Washington Pass | 0 | 0 | LT 0.10 | 0.25 |
| Leavenworth | 0 | 0 | 0 | LT 0.25 |
| Stevens Pass | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.25 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.50 |
| Mission Ridge | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.25 |
| Crystal Mt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Paradise | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.75 |
| White Pass | 0 | 0 | 0 | LT 0.25 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Timberline | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Wednesday Night | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Wednesday | 1.00 |
| Washington Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 |
| Leavenworth | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | LT 0.25 |
| Stevens Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.50 |
| Mission Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 |
| Crystal Mt | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Paradise | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.75 |
| White Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | LT 0.25 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Timberline | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 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: 2:19 PM PST Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | SW 0 - 10 | SW 0 - 10 | W 0 - 10 | WSW 0 - 10 | SW 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | SW 0 - 10 | SW 0 - 10 | W 0 - 10 | WSW 0 - 10 | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Morning | SW 0 - 10 | S 0 - 10 | SW 5 - 15 | SW 5 - 15 | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | S 5 - 15 | S 5 - 15 | SSW 5 - 15 | SW 5 - 15 | SW 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | SW 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Morning | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | S 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | SW 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Morning | S 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | S 5 - 15 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | W 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | W 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SSW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | WSW 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | WSW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | SW 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Morning | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | SW 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Morning | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | S 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | SW 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Morning | S 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | S 5 - 15 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | W 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | W 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SSW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | WSW 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | WSW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | SW 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Morning | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 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 Evening | WNW 20 - 30 | WNW 20 - 30 | NW 20 - 30 | NW 15 - 25 | NW 10 - 20 |
| Wednesday Night | W 20 - 30 | W 20 - 30 | W 20 - 30 | WNW 20 - 30 | NW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | SW 15 - 25 | SW 20 - 30 | W 25 - 35 | WSW 20 - 30 | W 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 20 - 30 | SW 20 - 30 | SW 25 - 35 | SW 20 - 30 | SW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | WNW 20 - 30 |
| Wednesday Night | W 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Morning | SW 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 20 - 30 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | WNW 20 - 30 |
| Wednesday Night | W 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Morning | SW 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 20 - 30 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | NW 20 - 30 |
| Wednesday Night | W 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Morning | W 25 - 35 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 25 - 35 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | NW 15 - 25 |
| Wednesday Night | WNW 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Morning | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 20 - 30 |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | NW 10 - 20 |
| Wednesday Night | NW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | W 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 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: 2:19 PM PST Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Extended Weather Synopsis for Wednesday night through Wednesday
The front will finally pass inland Friday night, with showers quickly decreasing over the region into early Saturday morning. A mostly dry but still relatively mild day should be seen for the Olympics and central and north Cascades on Saturday. More clouds with perhaps light precipitation may rotate up from the south and affect Mt. Hood Saturday.
Strong upper level ridging amplifying well offshore around 150W will open the door for some of that cold arctic air you've been hearing so much about over the rest of the country. Temperatures won't be nearly as cold as over the central part of the country, but low snow levels combined with an upper level trough digging off of our coast should begin to produce light but steady mountain snowfall for the latter half of the weekend and likely into Monday.
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Night | Snow Level | 3500' - 4500' | 4000' - 5000' | 5000' - 6000' | |
| Saturday | Snow Level | 3500' - 4500' | 4000' - 5000' | 5000' - 6000' | |
| Saturday Night | Snow Level | 2000' - 4000' | 3000' - 5000' | 4000' - 6000' | |
| Sunday | Snow Level | 1000' - 2000' | 1000' - 2000' | 2500' - 3500' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 3500' - 4500' |
| Saturday |
Snow Level 3500' - 4500' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 2000' - 4000' |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 1000' - 2000' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 4000' - 5000' |
| Saturday |
Snow Level 4000' - 5000' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 3000' - 5000' |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 1000' - 2000' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 5000' - 6000' |
| Saturday |
Snow Level 5000' - 6000' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 4000' - 6000' |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 2500' - 3500' |
* 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 30, 2019
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.