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 Thursday
Currently, a low cloud stratus deck has transitioned to stratocumulus due to daytime heating along the west slopes of the Cascades and Passes while upper level ridging traps the moisture and keeps the same areas from a full clearing trend. Warm frontal moisture from a low pressure system well to our north will glance the Olympics and north Cascades tonight through mid-day Thursday. This will once again increase low-level moisture along the west slope of the Cascades, Passes and Olympics through tomorrow morning.
We'll once again see a big north-south gradient for cloud cover and freezing levels on Thursday as the upper level ridge shunts the precipitation back to the north. Expect warm temperatures/high freezing levels for the south Washington Cascades, east slopes of the Cascades and Mt. Hood transition to morning clouds and a mid-afternoon breakout for the Olympics, Stevens and Snoqualmie Passes. Mostly cloudy and cooler conditions will likely persist in the Mt. Baker area most of the day.
Thursday night should be mostly clear and mild as the ridge amplifies further. A developing low pressure system will begin to spread high clouds inland during the day on Friday with the frontal band reaching the Olymipc peninsula late in the afternoon. Look for increasing winds and lowering freezing levels as the day wears on.
Weather Forecast
Hurricane Ridge
| Wednesday Night | Becoming cloudy overnight with a slight chance of light rain or snow after midnight. |
| Thursday | Cloudy with a slight chance of light rain or snow in the morning, then partly sunny in the afternoon. |
Mt. Baker
| Wednesday Night | Cloudy with a slight chance of light rain or snow after midnight. |
| Thursday | Cloudy with a chance of light rain or snow in the morning, then mostly cloudy in the afternoon. |
Washington Pass and Leavenworth
| Wednesday Night | Becoming cloudy late tonight. |
| Thursday | Mostly cloudy in the morning becoming partly to mostly sunny in the afternoon. |
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass
| Wednesday Night | Becoming cloudy overnight. |
| Thursday | Cloudy in the morning becoming partly sunny in the afternoon. |
Mt. Rainier, Crystal and White Pass
| Wednesday Night | Becoming mostly cloudy overnight. |
| Thursday | Mostly cloudy in the morning becoming mostly sunny by mid-day. |
Mt. Hood
| Wednesday Night | Mostly clear becoming partly cloudy after midnight. |
| Thursday | Mostly sunny. |
Issued: 2:07 PM PST Wednesday, February 26, 2020
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 | 4500' | 3000' | 2000' | 3500' | 3500' | 4000' | 4000' | 7000' |
| Wednesday Night | Freezing Level | 4500' | 3500' | 2000' | 3000' | 3000' | 3500' | 4000' | 7000' |
| Thursday Morning | Freezing Level | 5000' | 3500' | 3500' | 4500' | 3500' | 4000' | 5000' | 7500' |
| Thursday Afternoon | Freezing Level | 5000' | 4000' | 5500' | 6000' | 5000' | 5500' | 6500' | 8000' |
| Thursday Evening | Freezing Level | 5500' | 4500' | 4000' | 6000' | 5500' | 6000' | 7000' | 9000' |
| Thursday Night | Freezing Level | 6000' | 5000' | 3000' | 6000' | 6000' | 6000' | 7000' | 9000' |
| Friday Morning | Freezing Level | 6000' | 5500' | 6000' | 6500' | 6500' | 7000' | 7500' | 9000' |
| Friday Afternoon | Freezing Level | 4500' | 5000' | 6000' | 6000' | 5500' | 5500' | 6500' | 7000' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 4500' |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 4500' |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 4500' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 3000' |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 3500' |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 3500' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 4000' |
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 4500' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 2000' |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 2000' |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 3500' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 4000' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 3000' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 3500' |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 3000' |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 4500' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 6500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 3500' |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 3000' |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 3500' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 6500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 4000' |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 3500' |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 4000' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 7000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 4000' |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 4000' |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6500' |
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 7000' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 7000' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 7500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6500' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening |
Freezing Level 7000' |
| Wednesday Night |
Freezing Level 7000' |
| Thursday Morning |
Freezing Level 7500' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 8000' |
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 9000' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 9000' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 9000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 7000' |
* 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 | Thursday | Thursday Night | Thursday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 pm - 4 am | 4 am - 4 pm | 4 pm - 4 am | 4 am - 4 pm | |
| Hurricane Ridge | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 | 0 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington Pass | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leavenworth | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stevens Pass | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mission Ridge | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crystal Mt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Paradise | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| White Pass | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Timberline | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Thursday | LT 0.10 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Thursday | LT 0.10 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Washington Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Leavenworth | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Stevens Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Mission Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Crystal Mt | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Paradise | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| White Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Timberline | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
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: 2:07 PM PST Wednesday, February 26, 2020
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 | WNW 5 - 15 | WNW 5 - 15 | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Wednesday Night | W 10 - 20 | SW 10 - 20 | NW 10 - 20 | WNW 10 - 20 | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | W 5 - 15 | SW 5 - 15 | NW 10 - 20 | NW 5 - 15 | NW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 0 - 10 | SW 0 - 10 | W 5 - 15 | W 0 - 10 | W 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | SW 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | W 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | W 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | SW 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 0 - 10 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Wednesday Night | NW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | NW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | W 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Wednesday Night | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | NW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | W 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Wednesday Night | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | NW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | W 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | SW 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | W 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | W 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | SW 0 - 10 |
| Wednesday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 0 - 10 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Wednesday Night | NW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | NW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | W 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Wednesday Night | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | NW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | W 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Wednesday Night | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Morning | NW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | W 20 - 30 | NW 20 - 30 | NW 20 - 30 | NW 15 - 25 | NW 15 - 25 |
| Wednesday Night | W 30 - 40 | WNW 30 - 40 | WNW 35 - 45 | WNW 25 - 35 | NW 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Morning | W 20 - 30 | WNW 25 - 35 | WNW 35 - 45 | WNW 30 - 40 | NW 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Afternoon | W 25 - 35 | WNW 25 - 35 | W 25 - 35 | WNW 20 - 30 | NW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | W 20 - 30 |
| Wednesday Night | W 30 - 40 |
| Thursday Morning | W 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Afternoon | W 25 - 35 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | NW 20 - 30 |
| Wednesday Night | WNW 30 - 40 |
| Thursday Morning | WNW 25 - 35 |
| Thursday Afternoon | WNW 25 - 35 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | NW 20 - 30 |
| Wednesday Night | WNW 35 - 45 |
| Thursday Morning | WNW 35 - 45 |
| Thursday Afternoon | W 25 - 35 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | NW 15 - 25 |
| Wednesday Night | WNW 25 - 35 |
| Thursday Morning | WNW 30 - 40 |
| Thursday Afternoon | WNW 20 - 30 |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Evening | NW 15 - 25 |
| Wednesday Night | NW 15 - 25 |
| Thursday Morning | NW 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Afternoon | NW 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: 2:07 PM PST Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Extended Weather Synopsis for Thursday night through Thursday
A strong cold front will sweep through the Cascades Friday evening with steady precipitation turning to moderate to locally heavy showers favoring the west slopes of the Cascades. Winds will stay elevated behind the frontal passage through Saturday morning and snow levels will fall to 2000' or lower by Saturday morning. Post-frontal showers in NW flow aloft will continue moderate snow accumulations for the same areas through mid-day. Showers should start to become more scattered in the afternoon and evening and westerly winds should back off as an open upper level trough moves over the region. Forecast models continue light to moderate showers along the west slopes of the Cascades through Sunday. A more potent series of storms looks likely to begin Monday.
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Night | Snow Level | 2000' - 3500' | 2000' - 3500' | 2500' - 4500' | |
| Saturday | Snow Level | 1500' - 2500' | 2000' - 3000' | 2000' - 3000' | |
| Saturday Night | Snow Level | 1000' - 2000' | 1000' - 2000' | 1000' - 2000' | |
| Sunday | Snow Level | 1000' - 2000' | 1000' - 2000' | 1500' - 2500' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 2000' - 3500' |
| Saturday |
Snow Level 1500' - 2500' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 1000' - 2000' |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 1000' - 2000' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 2000' - 3500' |
| Saturday |
Snow Level 2000' - 3000' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 1000' - 2000' |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 1000' - 2000' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 2500' - 4500' |
| Saturday |
Snow Level 2000' - 3000' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 1000' - 2000' |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 1500' - 2500' |
* 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 26, 2020
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.