A frontal system currently languishing over the region did most of its damage overnight with 1-2 ft of snow across the west slopes of the Washington Cascades and 6-12 across the east slopes of the Cascades and Olympics. Additional light snow accumulations are likely through this morning with scattered light showers in the afternoon. Snow levels are just low enough for snow near 3000' this morning with a slight bump in temperatures and snow levels mid-day today. Winds will fall off quickly this morning as the frontal band falls apart. A trailing upper level trough will re-invigorate showers late this afternoon and evening over the south Washington Cascades and Mt Hood.
Later tonight we'll finally have an upper level ridge move over the area providing us with a dry 18 hours through Thursday afternoon. There should be a mix of sun and clouds Thursday morning before high clouds from the next system brings about overcast skies in the afternoon. A deep low pressure system well offshore will create strong offshore gradients over the region. Expect strong SE winds to develop for Stevens Pass down to Mt Hood in the afternoon and Thursday night in advance of the system.
Weather Forecast
Olympics
West North
West Central
West South
Stevens Pass
Snoqualmie Pass
East North
East Central
East South
Mt. Hood
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Wednesday
Scattered showers. Cloudy in the morning becoming partly to mostly cloudy in the afternoon.
Wednesday
Night
Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower in the evening.
Wednesday
Light to occasionally moderate rain and snow becoming scattered light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. Cloudy in the morning becoming partly to mostly cloudy in the afternoon.
Wednesday
Night
Partly to mostly cloudy with isolated light rain and snow showers in the evening.
Wednesday
Light to occasionally moderate rain and snow becoming scattered light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. Cloudy in the morning becoming mostly cloudy in the afternoon.
Wednesday
Night
Partly to mostly cloudy with isolated light rain and snow showers in the evening.
Wednesday
Light rain and snow becoming scattered light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. Cloudy.
Wednesday
Night
Cloudy with light rain and snow showers in the evening tapering off after midnight.
Wednesday
Light rain and snow becoming scattered light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. Cloudy.
Wednesday
Night
Mostly cloudy with isolated light rain and snow showers in the evening.
Wednesday
Light rain and snow becoming scattered light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. Cloudy. Light east winds at Pass level becoming west in the afternoon.
Wednesday
Night
Mostly cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers in the evening. Light west wind at Pass level.
Wednesday
Light rain and snow becoming isolated light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. Cloudy then mostly cloudy in the afternoon. Light east winds at Pass level becoming west in the afternoon.
Wednesday
Night
Partly to mostly cloudy with isolated light rain and snow showers in the evening. Light west wind at Pass level.
Wednesday
Light rain and snow becoming isolated light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. Cloudy.
Wednesday
Night
Partly to mostly cloudy with isolated light rain and snow showers in the evening.
Wednesday
Light rain and snow becoming isolated light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. Cloudy.
Wednesday
Night
Cloudy with scatterered light rain and snow showers in the evening tapering off after midnight.
Wednesday
Light to occasionally moderate rain and snow becoming light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. Cloudy.
Wednesday
Night
Cloudy with light rain and snow showers in the evening tapering off after midnight.
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.
The 5000’ temperature forecast does not imply a trend over the 12 hr period and only represents the max and min temperatures within a 12 hr period in the zone. The 6-hr snow level forecast, the forecast discussion, and weather forecast sections may add detail regarding temperature trends.
The snow level forecast represents the general snow level over a 6 hr time period. Freezing levels are forecast when precipitation is not expected.
*Easterly or offshore flow is highlighted with an asterisk when we expect relatively cool east winds in the major Cascade Passes. Easterly flow will often lead to temperature inversions and is a key variable for forecasting precipitation type in the Cascade Passes. Strong easterly flow events can affect terrain on a more regional scale.
Ridgeline winds are the average wind speed and direction over a 6 hr time period.
The wind forecast represents an elevation range instead of a single elevation slice. The elevation range overlaps with the near and above treeline elevation bands in the avalanche forecast and differs per zone.
Wind direction indicates the direction the wind originates or comes from on the 16-point compass rose.
Water Equivalent (WE) is the liquid water equivalent of all precipitation types; rain, snow, ice pellets, etc., forecast to the hundredth of an inch at specific locations. To use WE as a proxy for snowfall amounts, start with a snow to water ratio of 10:1 (10 inches of snow = 1 inch WE). Temperatures at or near freezing will generally have a lower ratio (heavy wet snow) and very cold temperatures can have a much higher ratio (dry fluffy snow).