Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k
Weather Synopsis for Thursday & Wednesday
Today is the last day of fair and mild weather with strong upper level ridging over the region. A fair amount of high clouds will cover the Olympics and central and north Cascades today as a developing Pacific frontal system approaches our area. Freezing levels and temperatures will remain quite mild, unless you are stuck at the bottom of the temperature inversion mainly at Stevens or Snoqualmie Pass or along the lower slopes on the east side of the Cascades. In general, sunnier and warmer conditions can be found for the south Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood today.
The frontal system will begin to stand up and become more north-south oriented overnight. Precipitation should begin for the Olympics and Mt. Baker area later in the evening, and won't make much progress inland as the front slows. Locally moderate precipitation is expected in the Mt. Baker area on Friday, with a secondary bullseye for the Paradise/Crystal area. Snow levels will lower late tonight but won't cool further until the front slowly kicks east of the Cascades Friday night. Easterly flow may initially drag down snow levels to 4000 feet for Stevens and Snoqualmie early Friday morning, but snow levels are expected to quickly settle above all the major Pass levels on Friday.
Weather Forecast
Hurricane Ridge
| Thursday | Mostly cloudy with high and mid clouds. Mild. |
Mt. Baker
| Thursday | Mostly cloudy with high and mid clouds. Mild. |
Washington Pass and Leavenworth
| Thursday | Partly to mostly cloudy with high clouds. Mild upper slopes. Cool with areas of fog and low clouds lower slopes and valleys. |
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass
| Thursday | Cloudy in the morning with areas of low clouds at the Pass. Becoming partly to mostly cloudy in the afternoon with high clouds. Mild upper slopes. Cool lower slopes. Light to moderate east winds in the Passes. |
Mt. Rainier, Crystal and White Pass
| Thursday | Partly cloudy with high clouds, except areas of low clouds White Pass, becoming partly to mostly sunny all areas in the afternoon. Mild. |
Mt. Hood
| Thursday | Mostly sunny and mild. |
Issued: 6:53 AM PST Thursday, January 31, 2019
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | Freezing Level * | 9000' | 8000' | 8000' | 8500' | 8500' | 9000' | 9000' | 10000' |
| Thursday Afternoon | Freezing Level * | 7500' | 7000' | 8000' | 8000' | 8000' | 8000' | 8000' | 9000' |
| Thursday Evening | Snow Level * | 6500' | 5000' | 5000' | 5500' | 5500' | 6000' | 7000' | 7500' |
| Thursday Night | Snow Level * | 6000' | 4500' | 4500' | 5000' | 5000' | 6000' | 6000' | 7000' |
| Friday Morning | Snow Level * | 6000' | 5000' | 4000' | 4500' | 4000' | 4000' | 6000' | 6500' |
| Friday Afternoon | Snow Level | 4500' | 5000' | 4500' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' | 5500' | 6000' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 9000' (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 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 7000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 5000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 5000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 5000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 8500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 5500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 5000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 8500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 5500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 5000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 9000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 9000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 7000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5500' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 10000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 9000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 7000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 6500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| 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
| Thursday | Thursday Night | Wednesday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 am - 4 pm | 4 pm - 4 am | 4 am - 4 pm | |
| Hurricane Ridge | 0 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | 0 | 0.50 - 0.75 | 1.00 |
| Washington Pass | 0 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 |
| Leavenworth | 0 | 0 | LT 0.25 |
| Stevens Pass | 0 | LT 0.10 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | 0 | LT 0.10 | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Mission Ridge | 0 | 0 | 0.25 |
| Crystal Mt | 0 | LT 0.10 | 0.75 |
| Paradise | 0 | LT 0.10 | 0.75 |
| White Pass | 0 | 0 | 0.25 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | 0 | 0 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Timberline | 0 | 0 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Wednesday | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Wednesday | 1.00 |
| Washington Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | LT 0.25 |
| Leavenworth | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | LT 0.25 |
| Stevens Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Mission Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 |
| Crystal Mt | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.75 |
| Paradise | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.75 |
| White Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Timberline | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday 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: 6:53 AM PST Thursday, January 31, 2019
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | SW 5 - 15 | SW 5 - 15 | SW 0 - 10 | SW 0 - 10 | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 | S 10 - 20 | SSW 5 - 15 | SW 5 - 15 | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Evening | SW 15 - 25 | S 10 - 20 | S 5 - 15 | S 5 - 15 | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | S 15 - 30 | S 15 - 25 | S 10 - 20 | S 10 - 20 | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Morning | SW 10 - 20 | S 10 - 20 | SE 15 - 25 | S 15 - 30 | SSW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 | SW 5 - 15 | SW 10 - 20 | SW 10 - 20 | SW 10 - 20 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Evening | SW 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Night | S 15 - 30 |
| Friday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | S 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Evening | S 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night | S 15 - 25 |
| Friday Morning | S 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 5 - 15 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SSW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Evening | S 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | S 10 - 20 |
| Friday Morning | SE 15 - 25 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Evening | S 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | S 10 - 20 |
| Friday Morning | S 15 - 30 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Evening | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Morning | SSW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Evening | SW 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Night | S 15 - 30 |
| Friday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | S 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Evening | S 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night | S 15 - 25 |
| Friday Morning | S 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 5 - 15 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SSW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Evening | S 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | S 10 - 20 |
| Friday Morning | SE 15 - 25 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Evening | S 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | S 10 - 20 |
| Friday Morning | S 15 - 30 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Evening | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Morning | SSW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | 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.
Free Winds at 9000' (mph)
| Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | WSW 20 - 30 | WSW 25 - 35 | WSW 25 - 35 | SW 20 - 30 | SW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 20 - 30 | SW 25 - 35 | SW 25 - 35 | SW 20 - 30 | SW 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Evening | SW 25 - 35 | SW 25 - 35 | SW 25 - 35 | SW 30 - 40 | SW 25 - 35 |
| Thursday Night | SW 35 - 45 | SW 30 - 40 | SW 30 - 40 | SW 40 - 50 | SW 35 - 45 |
| Friday Morning | SSW 35 - 45 | SW 35 - 45 | SW 45 - 55 | SW 50 - 60 | SW 40 - 50 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 25 - 40 | SW 30 - 40 | SW 30 - 40 | SW 35 - 45 | SW 35 - 45 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Evening | SW 25 - 35 |
| Thursday Night | SW 35 - 45 |
| Friday Morning | SSW 35 - 45 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 25 - 40 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 25 - 35 |
| Thursday Evening | SW 25 - 35 |
| Thursday Night | SW 30 - 40 |
| Friday Morning | SW 35 - 45 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 30 - 40 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 25 - 35 |
| Thursday Evening | SW 25 - 35 |
| Thursday Night | SW 30 - 40 |
| Friday Morning | SW 45 - 55 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 30 - 40 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | SW 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Evening | SW 30 - 40 |
| Thursday Night | SW 40 - 50 |
| Friday Morning | SW 50 - 60 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 35 - 45 |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Evening | SW 25 - 35 |
| Thursday Night | SW 35 - 45 |
| Friday Morning | SW 40 - 50 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 35 - 45 |
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 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.