0800: Updated Hurricane Ridge weather and precipitation for more snow today
We'll close out 2021 with continued cold temperatures this morning ranging from near or below zero in northeast Cascades to singles digits to low teens elsewhere across the mountains. Daytime highs will recover somewhat into the mid-teens and even the low twenties in a few spots. An upper level disturbance that produced light to moderate amounts of snow across much of the area last night has slid down the backside of the upper trough and is streaming showers into the Mt Hood area this morning. A general clearing and drying trend should take place from north to south today. Look for lighter snow showers from Snoqualmie Pass to Mt St Helens this morning to taper off by mid-day with a mix of sun and clouds likely in the afternoon. Sunnier conditions will be found further north.
High clouds from a warm front will quickly move into the Olympics and north Cascades this evening. Clearer conditions further south this evening will become partly cloudy overnight. West winds, especially in the alpine will pick up tonight in advance of a Pacific frontal system.
The frontal system should stay well to our north as we ring in 2022, with the bulk of the precipitation aimed into central British Columbia. Light snow will develop for the Olympics and northwest Cascades during the day on Saturday as winds increase. A mix of mid and high clouds will be found elsewhere. Snow levels will remain quite low but temperatures will begin to moderate out of the icebox during the day on Saturday for areas west of the Cascade crest and further south. Look for increasingly stormy conditions later Sunday and Sunday night to close out the holiday weekend.
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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Friday
Cloudy with light to moderate snow showers through noon, then partly cloudy with a few light snow showers this afternoon.
Friday
Night
Mostly cloudy in the evening, becoming cloudy overnight. Chance of light snow late.
Friday
Mostly sunny.
Friday
Night
Mostly cloudy in the evening, becoming cloudy overnight. Chance of light snow late.
Friday
Mostly cloudy with light snow showers this morning, becoming partly to mostly sunny this afternoon.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, then increasing high clouds overnight.
Friday
Cloudy with light snow showers this morning, becoming partly sunny this afternoon.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, then increasing high clouds overnight.
Friday
Cloudy with light snow showers this morning, becoming partly sunny this afternoon. Variable light winds at Pass level.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, then increasing high clouds overnight. Moderate east winds at Pass level.
Friday
Cloudy with light snow showers this morning, becoming partly sunny this afternoon. Variable light winds at Pass level.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, then increasing high clouds overnight. Moderate east winds at Pass level.
Friday
Mostly sunny. Moderate to strong ridgeline winds decreasing by mid-day.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, then increasing high clouds overnight.
Friday
Mostly cloudy with light snow showers this morning, becoming mostly sunny this afternoon.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, then increasing high clouds overnight.
Friday
Cloudy with light snow showers this morning, becoming mostly sunny this afternoon.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, then increasing high clouds late.
Friday
Light to moderate snow showers this morning, becoming scattered light snow showers this afternoon with sunbreaks. Strong winds this morning decreasing in the afternoon.
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).