An upper low drops south off our coast within a deep trough offshore. Our region has a weak surface low spinning in the nearshore waters which should continue to bring decreasing and generally light snowfall to the region. Southerly flow aloft is focusing some slightly more sustained snow on the Cascades Volcanoes, while easterly flow continues to enhance snowfall along the E slopes of the Cascades. Wednesday night, NWAC stations reported up to 5" of snow with Mission Ridge reporting the most. Snowfall should continue in similar areas today, but 0-4" snow accumulations will focus a bit further north into places like Washington Pass. Snow should taper to flurries by the afternoon in most places except the Wenatchee Mountains and East North Cascades.
Lingering flurries will continue to taper Thursday night as a weakened trough moves onshore leading to partially clearing skies.
Friday morning should start partly cloudy and chilly with increasing clouds and a chance of light snow developing by the end of the day in advance of an approaching trough.
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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Thursday
Isolated light snow showers at Hurricane Ridge. Slightly more snow (1-2") likely along the S and E flanks of the Olympics.
Thursday
Night
Isolated snow flurries with mostly cloudy skies in the evening, then becoming mostly clear.
Thursday
Cloudy with periods of light snow.
Thursday
Night
Mostly cloudy with a chance of light snow in the evening.
Thursday
Cloudy with light snow possible at times.
Thursday
Night
Mostly cloudy with snow flurries possible in the evening.
Thursday
Cloudy with decreasing chances of light snow.
Thursday
Night
Mostly cloudy in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight.
Thursday
Cloudy with periods of light snow. Light E winds at the Pass.
Thursday
Night
Mostly cloudy. Light E winds at the Pass.
Thursday
Cloudy with periods of light snow. Decreasing light E winds at the Pass.
Thursday
Night
Mostly cloudy. Light E winds at the Pass.
Thursday
Light to occasionally moderate snow.
Thursday
Night
Light snow or snow flurries ending in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy.
Thursday
Light to occasionally moderate snow in the morning, heaviest and most sustained in the Wenatchee mountains. In other areas, snow tapering to flurries in the afternoon.
Thursday
Night
Snow flurries ending in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy with periods of light snow, heaviest in the eastern foothills, and tapering to flurries in the afternoon.
Thursday
Night
Snow flurries ending in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy.
Thursday
Periods of light to occasionally moderate snow in the morning tapering to snow flurries in the afternoon,
Thursday
Night
Snow flurries in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy.
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).