A flattening ridge moving over the region today allows a weak warm to ride over the top into northern parts of our forecast region on Friday. Light or very light rain or snow should peak in the mid-day hours from Paradise north to the Canadian border with snow levels starting in the 2000-3000 ft range and rising during the afternoon. Expect minimal spillover onto the east slopes of the Cascades, but widespread cloud cover throughout the region. Temperatures continue to moderate, particularly in parts of the forecast region. Freezing levels around Mt. Hood rise to 7500-8000 ft by the afternoon.
The E-W oriented cold frontal boundary associated with Friday's warm front moves into northern Washington Friday night, increasing light rain and snow north of highway 2. Westerly winds increase and may become strong for Mt. Hood and along the east slopes and mountain gaps overnight.
The frontal boundary lifts north of the Canadian border Friday morning. Light to moderate rain and snow move back into the region as a deep closed low approaches the Washington nearshore waters. Precipitation likely starts up mid-afternoon with increasing southerly winds becoming strong in some areas late in the day.
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 very light rain or snow at times.
Friday
Night
Light rain and snow.
Friday
Cloudy with light rain or snow primarily from mid-morning through early afternoon.
Friday
Night
Increasing light snow.
Friday
Cloudy with light rain or snow primarily from mid-morning through early afternoon.
Friday
Night
Cloudy in the evening with light rain or snow developing in the northern part overnight.
Friday
Cloudy with periods of light rain or snow, primarily during the morning hours.
Friday
Night
Cloudy. Strong winds possible through the mountain gaps.
Friday
Cloudy with very light rain or snow primarily from mid-morning through early afternoon. Light W wind at the Pass.
Friday
Night
Cloudy with a slight chance of very light rain or snow. Variable winds at the Pass.
Friday
Cloudy with very light rain or snow primarily from mid-morning through early afternoon. Light W wind at the Pass.
Friday
Night
Cloudy with a slight chance of very light rain or snow. Variable winds at the Pass.
Friday
Cloudy with very light rain or snow primarily from late morning onwards. Light W wind at the Pass.
Friday
Night
Light snow mainly after midnight. Strong ridgeline wind gusts.
Friday
Cloudy with very light rain or snow primarily during the mid-day hours.
Friday
Night
Cloudy. Ridgeline winds becoming strong.
Friday
Mostly cloudy.
Friday
Night
Cloudy with strong ridgeline wind gusts.
Friday
Mostly cloudy. Strong ridgeline wind gusts at times.
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).