A front passed through the Cascades around 5-6 am this morning. Snow levels will fall as colder air filters in behind the frontal system. Steady precipitation will give way to post-frontal showers by mid-morning, with the heaviest snow showers expected in areas of convergence for the northwest Cascades this morning, and then the Cascades of Skagit and Snohomish county this afternoon. The convergence zone will likely hang up north of Stevens Pass in the afternoon, focusing more towards the Mt Loop area. Heavier snow showers are also expected for the Mt Hood area today. All in all, 3-10" of snow looks likely through 4 pm this afternoon with the lighter amounts east of the Cascade crest.
The post-frontal westerly winds look stronger than they did yesterday and should last well into the evening. Winds look the strongest from Stevens Pass area and southward to Mt Hood.
Showers will ease but not end overnight as a quick moving frontal system drops south along the B.C. coastline. A new frontal band will pass through the Olympics early Friday morning, increasing light snow over the area. The precipitation will push inland during the morning hours but weaken as the low pulls further south along the Washington Coast. Expect light snow for most areas on Friday, with higher totals likely for the West South and Mt Hood zones.
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
Light to occasionally moderate snow showers. A few sunbreaks possible.
Thursday
Night
Light snow developing and increasing overnight.
Thursday
Light to moderate snow showers becoming mostly cloudy and scattered light snow showers in the afternoon.
Thursday
Night
Mostly cloudy with scattered light snow showers overnight.
Thursday
Moderate to locally heavy snow showers.
Thursday
Night
Light to moderate snow showers becoming scattered overnight.
Thursday
Light rain and snow becoming light to occasionally moderate snow showers mid-morning, heaviest Paradise area. Strong ridgeline winds.
Thursday
Night
Scattered light snow showers becoming light to occasionally moderate snow after midnight. Strong ridgeline winds.
Thursday
Light to occasionally moderate snow becoming snow showers mid-morning. Strong ridgeline and Pass level westerly winds developing this afternoon.
Thursday
Night
Scattered light snow showers becoming light snow after midnight. Strong to moderate ridgeline and Pass level westerly winds decreasing.
Thursday
Light to occasionally moderate snow becoming snow showers mid-morning. Strong ridgeline and Pass level westerly winds developing this afternoon.
Thursday
Night
Scattered light snow showers becoming light snow after midnight. Strong ridgeline and Pass level westerly winds decreasing.
Thursday
Light to occasionally moderate snow becoming scattered snow showers mid-morning. Ridgeline winds becoming moderate to strong in the afternoon.
Thursday
Night
Scattered light snow showers decreasing after midnight.
Thursday
Light snow becoming light snow showers, locally moderate near the crest mid-morning. Strong ridgeline winds.
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).