Issued: 2:57 PM PST Monday, February 28, 2022
by Robert Hahn

Jump to: Weather Forecast I Precipitation I Snow Level I 5000' Temps I Ridgeline Winds I Extended Weather

Weather Synopsis

The Pacific Northwest remains sandwiched between a broad trough offshore and ridging over the southwest US. The pattern continues to direct an atmospheric river of moisture into the region although the heaviest precipitation occurred on Monday. Satellite imagery on Monday afternoon depicts a broad region of very high cloud tops associated with the third and final wave of a sequence over our region. These high clouds extend north into central British Columbia with a narrower "river" of moisture extending SW into the Pacific which should continue to bring gradually decreasing rain and high elevation snow to the region Monday night. The moisture sags southward, focusing the heaviest precipitation (1-2") from the mountain loop south to Mt. St. Helens as the Olympics and Mt. Baker area become increasingly showery. Temperatures peak in many areas Tuesday night, before the southward sagging front allows a gradual cooling trend with the trough approaching offshore.

The frontal zone maintains rain and snow (heavy at times) in the Mt. Hood area on Tuesday while SW flow brings light to moderate rain and snow showers to the Cascades - a pattern that favors the volcanoes slightly. Spillover to the east slopes of the Cascades should be light while strong downslope ridgeline winds should gradually ease during the day. Snow levels drop below 5000 ft in the Olympics and Mt. Baker areas.

Tuesday night features a similar pattern to Tuesday with lighter winds and snow levels lowering to 4500 to 5500 ft.

By Wednesday, expect light showers across the region with SW winds and slight additional cooling as the trough continues to edge toward the nearshore waters.

 

Weather Forecast

Olympics
West North
West Central
West South
Stevens Pass
Snoqualmie Pass
East North
East Central
East South
Mt. Hood
Use dropdown to select your zone
Monday Night Decreasing light rain and high elevation snow becoming showery overnight.
Tuesday Light rain and snow showers.
Monday Night Light to moderate rain and high elevation snow becoming showery.
Tuesday Light rain and snow showers.
Monday Night Very heavy rain and high elevation snow becoming moderate to heavy overnight.
Tuesday Moderate rain and snow showers becoming light in the afternoon.
Monday Night Heavy rain and high elevations snow decreasing slightly overnight. Decreasing moderate to strong ridgeline winds.
Tuesday Light to moderate rain and high elevation snow showers. Strong ridgeline winds possible near the Cascade Crest in the morning.
Monday Night Heavy rain and high elevation snow becoming moderate overnight. Light and variable winds at the Pass.
Tuesday Light rain and snow showers.
Monday Night Heavy rain and high elevation snow becoming moderate overnight. Light and variable winds at the Pass.
Tuesday Light rain and snow showers.
Monday Night Moderate rain and high elevation snow becoming moderate and more showery overnight.
Tuesday Light rain and snow showers. Strong ridgeline winds possible in the morning.
Monday Night Decreasing moderate rain and high elevation snow becoming light overnight. Decreasing strong ridgeline winds.
Tuesday Light rain and snow showers. Strong ridgeline winds in the morning.
Monday Night Decreasing light to moderate rain and snow. Strong ridgeline winds becoming moderate. Decreasing strong ridgeline winds.
Tuesday Light rain and snow showers. Strong ridgeline winds possible in the morning.
Monday Night Light rain and snow becoming moderate to potentially heavy overnight. Decreasing strong ridgeline winds.
Tuesday Moderate rain and snow showers. Strong ridgeline wind gusts.

Issued: 2:57 PM PST Monday, February 28, 2022

Precipitation (in)

Monday Night Tuesday Tuesday Night Wednesday
4 pm - 4 am 4 am - 4 pm 4 pm - 4 am 4 am - 4 pm
Hurricane Ridge 0.25 LT 0.10 LT 0.10 LT 0.25
Mt Baker Ski Area 0.50 0.25 - 0.50 LT 0.25 LT 0.10
Mt. Loop - Barlow Pass 1.50 0.25 - 0.50 LT 0.25 LT 0.25
Stevens Pass 1.00 - 1.50 0.25 0.25 0.25
Snoqualmie Pass 1.50 0.25 - 0.50 0.25 0.25
Crystal Mt 0.75 -1.00 LT 0.10 LT 0.25 LT 0.10
Paradise 2.00 - 2.50 0.25 0.25 - 0.50 0.25 - 0.50
White Pass 1.00 - 1.50 0.25 0.25 LT 0.10
Washington Pass 0.75 -1.00 LT 0.25 LT 0.10 LT 0.25
Mission Ridge 0.25 LT 0.10 LT 0.10 0
Salmon la Sac - Gallagher Head 1.00 LT 0.25 LT 0.25 LT 0.25
Tieton River - Darland Mt. 0.50 - 0.75 LT 0.25 0.25 - 0.50 LT 0.10
Mt Hood Meadows 0.50 0.50 - 0.75 0.50 LT 0.10
Timberline 0.50 0.50 - 0.75 0.50 LT 0.10
Hurricane Ridge Precipitation (in)
Monday Night 0.25
Tuesday LT 0.10
Tuesday Night LT 0.10
Wednesday LT 0.25
Mt Baker Ski Area Precipitation (in)
Monday Night 0.50
Tuesday 0.25 - 0.50
Tuesday Night LT 0.25
Wednesday LT 0.10
Mt. Loop - Barlow Pass Precipitation (in)
Monday Night 1.50
Tuesday 0.25 - 0.50
Tuesday Night LT 0.25
Wednesday LT 0.25
Stevens Pass Precipitation (in)
Monday Night 1.00 - 1.50
Tuesday 0.25
Tuesday Night 0.25
Wednesday 0.25
Snoqualmie Pass Precipitation (in)
Monday Night 1.50
Tuesday 0.25 - 0.50
Tuesday Night 0.25
Wednesday 0.25
Crystal Mt Precipitation (in)
Monday Night 0.75 -1.00
Tuesday LT 0.10
Tuesday Night LT 0.25
Wednesday LT 0.10
Paradise Precipitation (in)
Monday Night 2.00 - 2.50
Tuesday 0.25
Tuesday Night 0.25 - 0.50
Wednesday 0.25 - 0.50
White Pass Precipitation (in)
Monday Night 1.00 - 1.50
Tuesday 0.25
Tuesday Night 0.25
Wednesday LT 0.10
Washington Pass Precipitation (in)
Monday Night 0.75 -1.00
Tuesday LT 0.25
Tuesday Night LT 0.10
Wednesday LT 0.25
Mission Ridge Precipitation (in)
Monday Night 0.25
Tuesday LT 0.10
Tuesday Night LT 0.10
Wednesday 0
Salmon la Sac - Gallagher Head Precipitation (in)
Monday Night 1.00
Tuesday LT 0.25
Tuesday Night LT 0.25
Wednesday LT 0.25
Tieton River - Darland Mt. Precipitation (in)
Monday Night 0.50 - 0.75
Tuesday LT 0.25
Tuesday Night 0.25 - 0.50
Wednesday LT 0.10
Mt Hood Meadows Precipitation (in)
Monday Night 0.50
Tuesday 0.50 - 0.75
Tuesday Night 0.50
Wednesday LT 0.10
Timberline Precipitation (in)
Monday Night 0.50
Tuesday 0.50 - 0.75
Tuesday Night 0.50
Wednesday LT 0.10

Issued: 2:57 PM PST Monday, February 28, 2022

Snow Level (ft)

Monday Evening Monday Night Tuesday Morning Tuesday Afternoon Tuesday Evening Tuesday Night Wednesday Morning Wednesday Afternoon
Olympics 5500' 5000' 5000' 4500' 4500' 4500' 4000' 4000'
West North 5000' 5500' 4500' 4500' 4500' 4500' 4000' 4000'
West Central 6000' 5500' 5000' 5000' 5000' 4500' 4500' 4000'
West South 7000' 6000' 6000' 5500' 5500' 5000' 4500' 4500'
Stevens Pass 6000' 6000' 5500' 5000' 5000' 5000' 4500' 4500'
Snoqualmie Pass 6500' 6000' 5500' 5500' 5500' 5000' 4500' 4500'
East North 4500' 5000' 5000' 5000' 5000' 4500' 3500' 4500'
East Central 6500' 6000' 5500' 5500' 5500' 5000' 5000' 4500'
East South 7000' 6500' 6000' 6000' 6000' 5500' 5000' 5000'
Mt. Hood 7500' 7000' 6500' 6500' 6500' 5500' 5000' 5500'
Olympics Elevation
Monday Evening 5500'
Monday Night 5000'
Tuesday Morning 5000'
Tuesday Afternoon 4500'
Tuesday Evening 4500'
Tuesday Night 4500'
Wednesday Morning 4000'
Wednesday Afternoon 4000'
West North Elevation
Monday Evening 5000'
Monday Night 5500'
Tuesday Morning 4500'
Tuesday Afternoon 4500'
Tuesday Evening 4500'
Tuesday Night 4500'
Wednesday Morning 4000'
Wednesday Afternoon 4000'
West Central Elevation
Monday Evening 6000'
Monday Night 5500'
Tuesday Morning 5000'
Tuesday Afternoon 5000'
Tuesday Evening 5000'
Tuesday Night 4500'
Wednesday Morning 4500'
Wednesday Afternoon 4000'
West South Elevation
Monday Evening 7000'
Monday Night 6000'
Tuesday Morning 6000'
Tuesday Afternoon 5500'
Tuesday Evening 5500'
Tuesday Night 5000'
Wednesday Morning 4500'
Wednesday Afternoon 4500'
Stevens Pass Elevation
Monday Evening 6000'
Monday Night 6000'
Tuesday Morning 5500'
Tuesday Afternoon 5000'
Tuesday Evening 5000'
Tuesday Night 5000'
Wednesday Morning 4500'
Wednesday Afternoon 4500'
Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Monday Evening 6500'
Monday Night 6000'
Tuesday Morning 5500'
Tuesday Afternoon 5500'
Tuesday Evening 5500'
Tuesday Night 5000'
Wednesday Morning 4500'
Wednesday Afternoon 4500'
East North Elevation
Monday Evening 4500'
Monday Night 5000'
Tuesday Morning 5000'
Tuesday Afternoon 5000'
Tuesday Evening 5000'
Tuesday Night 4500'
Wednesday Morning 3500'
Wednesday Afternoon 4500'
East Central Elevation
Monday Evening 6500'
Monday Night 6000'
Tuesday Morning 5500'
Tuesday Afternoon 5500'
Tuesday Evening 5500'
Tuesday Night 5000'
Wednesday Morning 5000'
Wednesday Afternoon 4500'
East South Elevation
Monday Evening 7000'
Monday Night 6500'
Tuesday Morning 6000'
Tuesday Afternoon 6000'
Tuesday Evening 6000'
Tuesday Night 5500'
Wednesday Morning 5000'
Wednesday Afternoon 5000'
Mt. Hood Elevation
Monday Evening 7500'
Monday Night 7000'
Tuesday Morning 6500'
Tuesday Afternoon 6500'
Tuesday Evening 6500'
Tuesday Night 5500'
Wednesday Morning 5000'
Wednesday Afternoon 5500'

Issued: 2:57 PM PST Monday, February 28, 2022

5000' Temperatures (°F)

Monday Night Tuesday
Max / Min Max / Min
Olympics 36 / 33 33 / 31
West North 36 / 34 34 / 33
West Central 36 / 35 35 / 33
West South 38 / 35 35 / 35
Stevens Pass 36 / 35 35 / 34
Snoqualmie Pass 37 / 35 35 / 34
East North 36 / 34 35 / 33
East Central 37 / 35 35 / 34
East South 38 / 35 35 / 35
Mt. Hood 38 / 36 37 / 36
Olympics 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Monday Night 36 / 33
Tuesday 33 / 31
West North 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Monday Night 36 / 34
Tuesday 34 / 33
West Central 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Monday Night 36 / 35
Tuesday 35 / 33
West South 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Monday Night 38 / 35
Tuesday 35 / 35
Stevens Pass 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Monday Night 36 / 35
Tuesday 35 / 34
Snoqualmie Pass 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Monday Night 37 / 35
Tuesday 35 / 34
East North 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Monday Night 36 / 34
Tuesday 35 / 33
East Central 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Monday Night 37 / 35
Tuesday 35 / 34
East South 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Monday Night 38 / 35
Tuesday 35 / 35
Mt. Hood 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Monday Night 38 / 36
Tuesday 37 / 36

Issued: 2:57 PM PST Monday, February 28, 2022

Ridgeline Winds (mph)

Monday Evening Monday Night Tuesday Morning Tuesday Afternoon
Olympics SW 25-35 SW 20-30 SW 20-30 SSW 20-30
West North SSW 15-25 SW 15-25 SSW 20-30 SSW 20-30
West Central WSW 20-30 WSW 20-30 WSW 20-30 WSW 15-25
West South SW 25-35 WSW 20-30 WSW 20-30 SW 15-25
Stevens Pass WSW 20-30 WSW 15-25 WSW 15-25 WSW 10-20
Snoqualmie Pass WSW 20-30 WSW 15-25 WSW 20-30 SW 10-20
East North WSW 15-25 WSW 20-30 WSW 20-30 WSW 20-30
East Central WSW 30-40 WSW 25-35 WSW 25-35 WSW 20-30
East South SW 25-35 WSW 25-35 WSW 15-25 WSW 15-25
Mt. Hood SW 30-40 SW 25-35 WSW 20-30 WSW 15-25
Olympics Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Monday Evening SW 25-35
Monday Night SW 20-30
Tuesday Morning SW 20-30
Tuesday Afternoon SSW 20-30
West North Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Monday Evening SSW 15-25
Monday Night SW 15-25
Tuesday Morning SSW 20-30
Tuesday Afternoon SSW 20-30
West Central Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Monday Evening WSW 20-30
Monday Night WSW 20-30
Tuesday Morning WSW 20-30
Tuesday Afternoon WSW 15-25
West South Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Monday Evening SW 25-35
Monday Night WSW 20-30
Tuesday Morning WSW 20-30
Tuesday Afternoon SW 15-25
Stevens Pass Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Monday Evening WSW 20-30
Monday Night WSW 15-25
Tuesday Morning WSW 15-25
Tuesday Afternoon WSW 10-20
Snoqualmie Pass Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Monday Evening WSW 20-30
Monday Night WSW 15-25
Tuesday Morning WSW 20-30
Tuesday Afternoon SW 10-20
East North Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Monday Evening WSW 15-25
Monday Night WSW 20-30
Tuesday Morning WSW 20-30
Tuesday Afternoon WSW 20-30
East Central Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Monday Evening WSW 30-40
Monday Night WSW 25-35
Tuesday Morning WSW 25-35
Tuesday Afternoon WSW 20-30
East South Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Monday Evening SW 25-35
Monday Night WSW 25-35
Tuesday Morning WSW 15-25
Tuesday Afternoon WSW 15-25
Mt. Hood Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Monday Evening SW 30-40
Monday Night SW 25-35
Tuesday Morning WSW 20-30
Tuesday Afternoon WSW 15-25

Issued: 2:57 PM PST Monday, February 28, 2022

Extended Weather Synopsis

The upper trough shifts into the nearshore waters Wednesday night and reaches the coast Thursday morning. SW winds continue to bring light rain and snow showers into the region, but showers should be increasingly intermittent. This should allow temperatures to cool significantly and lower snow levels, first in the Olympics and west slopes of the Cascades. By Thursday night and Friday, cooling should spill over to the east slopes of the Cascades as well as winds become light and variable. Light snow shower activity could be enhanced in the afternoon with early March convective showers and graupel squalls as the upper trough axis slides east of the Cascades.

Extended Snow Level (ft)

Wednesday Night Thursday Thursday Night Friday
West North 3500' 2500' 2000' 2000'
Snoqualmie Pass 3500' 3000' 2500' 2500'
Mt. Hood 4000' 3000' 2500' 2500'
West North Elevation
Wednesday Night 3500'
Thursday 2500'
Thursday Night 2000'
Friday 2000'
Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Wednesday Night 3500'
Thursday 3000'
Thursday Night 2500'
Friday 2500'
Mt. Hood Elevation
Wednesday Night 4000'
Thursday 3000'
Thursday Night 2500'
Friday 2500'

Jump to: Weather Forecast I Precipitation I Snow Level I 5000' Temps I Ridgeline Winds I Extended Weather

Previous forecast from Feb 28, 2022

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).

The label LT, is shorthand for ‘less than’.