Mountain Weather Forecast

Weather Synopsis

An upper level disturbance riding down the backside of a cool upper trough continues to produce mountain snow showers across the area. While most showers are light, moderate snowfall can be found near a Puget Sound Convergence zone that's trained into the central Cascades between Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass. The convergence banding with locally heavier showers will continue through this afternoon and begin to weaken in the evening as it shifts slightly southward. Tonight, low level clouds should linger longest from Stevens Pass down toward Mt Hood along the west slopes of the Cascades with at least partial clearing in other areas.  

Weak ridging will pass over the area on Friday as a new frontal system winds up offshore. Any clearing will be short-lived as high clouds stream over all areas by mid-late morning.  Otherwise, a dry, cool day with predominately light winds is on tap for Friday.

 A deepening low pressure system will track towards the central British Columbia coast Friday night into Saturday. Warm frontal precipitation will begin over the Olympics and north Cascades Friday night with the precipitation reaching all the way to Mt Hood on Saturday. The most likely scenario is that the heaviest precipitation is confined to the central and north Cascades on Saturday, but that axis may shift as we get closer to the event.  The track of the low should surge milder air into the region on Saturday. While all areas will see rising snow levels, this pattern could result in a wintry mix, including periods of freezing rain, for Stevens, Snoqualmie and White Passes and for areas just east of the Passes. Rain looks likely to reach mid-elevations at Mt Hood, Paradise/Crystal areas and perhaps road level at Snoqualmie Pass later in the day. The east slopes of the Cascades, especially north of Highway 2 should hold onto snow for the duration of the event. This storm should have something different for everyone.