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 night through Sunday
This wet and wild weather system just keeps ringing out water in the mountains. As of Thursday afternoon, many weather stations were already racking up impressive water totals and exceeding the forecast for the day. This pattern looks to continue Thursday night before the relentless precipitation turns to showers for most locations. Precipitation continues to spill over the Cascades through the night, but lose momentum on Friday, transitioning to more isolated showers. A wet atmosphere and westerly winds will keep piling up clouds on the mountains and ringing out more rain and snow for many locations into the weekend.
Warm air is firmly in place across the forecast region, with many weather stations reporting above freezing temperatures and most precipitation falling as rain. A few areas east of the Cascades and in the mountain passes are holding on to cooler air right at the surface, however, temperatures increase as you ascend in elevation. High snowlevels should persist overnight and into Friday. What's left of the weak east flow in the passes should end as an approaching trough shuts down the dynamics needed to draw cooler air from east of the Cascades. Snowlevels don't appear to be in any hurry to come down Friday. Look for temperatures to slowly cool, bringing snow to some areas above about 4000'. Moderate to strong winds appear to continue to impact even mid-elevations slopes across the forecast time period.
Weather Forecast
Hurricane Ridge
| Thursday Night | Rain and snow showers. Moderate winds. |
| Friday | Rain and snow showers. Moderate winds. |
Mt. Baker
| Thursday Night | Stormy. Rain and high elevation snow. Moderate winds decreasing slightly. |
| Friday | Stormy. Rain and high elevation snow. Moderate to strong winds. |
Washington Pass and Leavenworth
| Thursday Night | Rain and snow showers. Moderate alpine winds. |
| Friday | Mostly cloudy. Rain and snow showers tapering. Moderate alpine winds. |
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass
| Thursday Night | Stormy. Rain and high elevation snow. Light east flow turning westerly at the Pass. |
| Friday | Rain and high elevation snow. Ridgetop winds increasing and becoming strong. |
Mt. Rainier, Crystal and White Pass
| Thursday Night | Stormy. Rain and high elevation snow. Moderate winds. |
| Friday | Rain and high elevation snow becoming showers late in the day. Winds becoming strong. |
Mt. Hood
| Thursday Night | Rain and high elevation snow. Moderate winds becoming strong. |
| Friday | Rain and snow showers. Strong winds decreasing in the afternoon. |
Issued: 3:50 PM PST Thursday, January 23, 2020
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | Snow Level * | 6000' | 6000' | 4500' | 5000' | 5500' | 6000' | 6000' | 6500' |
| Thursday Night | Snow Level | 5500' | 5500' | 4500' | 5000' | 5500' | 6000' | 6000' | 6000' |
| Friday Morning | Snow Level | 4500' | 4500' | 4000' | 4500' | 4500' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' |
| Friday Afternoon | Snow Level | 4000' | 4000' | 4000' | 4000' | 4000' | 4500' | 4500' | 5000' |
| Friday Evening | Snow Level | 4000' | 3500' | 3500' | 3500' | 4000' | 4000' | 4000' | 4500' |
| Friday Night | Snow Level * | 4000' | 3000' | 2500' | 3000' | 3500' | 4000' | 4000' | 4500' |
| Saturday Morning | Snow Level * | 4500' | 3000' | 2000' | 3000' | 3000' | 3000' | 3500' | 4000' |
| Saturday Afternoon | Snow Level * | 4500' | 3500' | 3000' | 3500' | 4000' | 4000' | 4500' | 5000' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 5500' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 5500' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 3000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 3000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 3500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 2500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 2000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 3000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 5000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 3000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 3000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 3500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 5500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 5500' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 3500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 3000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 6000' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 3000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 6000' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 3500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Snow Level 6500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level 6000' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 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.
Precipitation Forecast
| Thursday Night | Sunday | Sunday Night | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 pm - 4 am | 4 am - 4 pm | 4 pm - 4 am | 4 am - 4 pm | |
| Hurricane Ridge | 0.25 | 0.25 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.25 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | 1.00 - 1.50 | 1.00 | 0.25 - 0.50 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Washington Pass | 0.50 | 0.25 - 0.50 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.25 |
| Leavenworth | LT 0.25 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 |
| Stevens Pass | 0.50 - 0.75 | 0.50 - 0.75 | LT 0.25 | 0.25 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | 0.75 | 0.50 - 0.75 | LT 0.25 | 0.25 |
| Mission Ridge | 0.25 - 0.50 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 |
| Crystal Mt | 0.50 - 0.75 | 0.25 - 0.50 | LT 0.25 | 0.25 |
| Paradise | 1.00 - 1.50 | 0.50 - 0.75 | 0.25 - 0.50 | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| White Pass | 0.75 -1.00 | 0.25 - 0.50 | LT 0.25 | 0.25 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | 0.75 -1.00 | 0.25 | LT 0.25 | 0.50 |
| Timberline | 0.75 -1.00 | 0.25 | LT 0.25 | 0.50 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0.25 |
| Sunday | 0.25 |
| Sunday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Sunday | LT 0.25 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 1.00 - 1.50 |
| Sunday | 1.00 |
| Sunday Night | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Sunday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Washington Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0.50 |
| Sunday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Sunday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Sunday | LT 0.25 |
| Leavenworth | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Sunday | LT 0.25 |
| Sunday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday | LT 0.25 |
| Stevens Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Sunday | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Sunday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Sunday | 0.25 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0.75 |
| Sunday | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Sunday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Sunday | 0.25 |
| Mission Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Sunday | LT 0.25 |
| Sunday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday | LT 0.25 |
| Crystal Mt | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Sunday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Sunday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Sunday | 0.25 |
| Paradise | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 1.00 - 1.50 |
| Sunday | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Sunday Night | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Sunday | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| White Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0.75 -1.00 |
| Sunday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Sunday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Sunday | 0.25 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0.75 -1.00 |
| Sunday | 0.25 |
| Sunday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Sunday | 0.50 |
| Timberline | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0.75 -1.00 |
| Sunday | 0.25 |
| Sunday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Sunday | 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: 3:50 PM PST Thursday, January 23, 2020
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | SSW 10 - 20 | SSW 15 - 25 | S 10 - 20 | S 10 - 20 | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Night | SW 10 - 20 | SSW 10 - 20 | S 10 - 20 | SSW 10 - 20 | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Friday Morning | SW 15 - 25 | SSW 15 - 25 | WSW 15 - 25 | WSW 15 - 25 | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 15 - 25 | SSW 15 - 25 | WSW 20 - 30 | WSW 15 - 25 | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | SSW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Morning | SW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | SSW 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Night | SSW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Morning | SSW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Afternoon | SSW 15 - 25 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | S 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night | S 10 - 20 |
| Friday Morning | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | S 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night | SSW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Morning | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Night | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Friday Morning | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | SSW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Morning | SW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | SSW 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Night | SSW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Morning | SSW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Afternoon | SSW 15 - 25 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | S 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night | S 10 - 20 |
| Friday Morning | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | S 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night | SSW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Morning | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Night | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Friday Morning | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 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.
Free Winds at 9000' (mph)
| Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | SW 30 - 40 | SW 20 - 30 | SW 25 - 35 | SW 25 - 35 | WSW 30 - 40 |
| Thursday Night | SW 30 - 40 | SW 15 - 25 | SW 25 - 35 | SW 20 - 30 | WSW 30 - 40 |
| Friday Morning | SW 30 - 40 | SW 15 - 25 | WSW 30 - 40 | WSW 30 - 40 | WSW 35 - 45 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 25 - 35 | WSW 25 - 35 | WSW 35 - 45 | WSW 30 - 40 | WSW 30 - 40 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | SW 30 - 40 |
| Thursday Night | SW 30 - 40 |
| Friday Morning | SW 30 - 40 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | SW 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Night | SW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Morning | SW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | SW 25 - 35 |
| Thursday Night | SW 25 - 35 |
| Friday Morning | WSW 30 - 40 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 35 - 45 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | SW 25 - 35 |
| Thursday Night | SW 20 - 30 |
| Friday Morning | WSW 30 - 40 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 30 - 40 |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | WSW 30 - 40 |
| Thursday Night | WSW 30 - 40 |
| Friday Morning | WSW 35 - 45 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 30 - 40 |
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: 3:50 PM PST Thursday, January 23, 2020
Extended Weather Synopsis for Sunday night through Sunday
The active weather pattern looks to continue into the weekend. A series of storms appear poised to move across the region with short breaks between each event. The models continue to struggle with the specifics in strength, timing, and temperatures, but no matter how you look at it, the wet pattern seems to continue for the mountains.
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday Night | Snow Level | 2500' - 4000' | 3000' - 4500' | 5000' - 6500' | * |
| Sunday | Snow Level | 2500' - 3500' | 3500' - 4500' | 4000' - 5500' | |
| Sunday Night | Snow Level | 2500' - 3500' | 2500' - 4000' | 3500' - 4500' | * |
| Monday | Snow Level | 2000' - 3000' | 2000' - 3500' | 2500' - 4000' | * |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 2500' - 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 2500' - 3500' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 2500' - 3500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday |
Snow Level 2000' - 3000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 3000' - 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 3500' - 4500' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 2500' - 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday |
Snow Level 2000' - 3500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 5000' - 6500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 4000' - 5500' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 3500' - 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday |
Snow Level 2500' - 4000' (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 Jan 23, 2020
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