Post-frontal westerly flow gradually decreases as a weak ridge replaces an exiting trough by the afternoon. Moderate ridgeline winds at Mt. Hood should gradually decrease throughout the morning. Dwindling post-frontal rain and snow showers should end in most areas by mid-morning, but moisture may continue to trickle into the Baker area into the early afternoon. Temperatures cooled off overnight and we expect snow levels to continue in the 2000 (north) to 3500 ft (south) range. Expect mostly cloudy skies to linger through the afternoon along the west slopes of the Cascades from Snoqualmie Pass northward with partly cloudy skies further south. Expect full sunshine just a few miles east of the Cascade Crest with minimal spillover.
Wednesday night, a weak and weakening approaching frontal system brings increasing clouds across NW Washington with a chance of rain/snow for the Olympics and Mt. Baker areas in the early morning hours.
The slow-moving front gradually works its way south and east, extending light rain/snow to other areas of the Washington Cascades west of the Cascade Crest by the afternoon. Southerly winds ahead of the front should bring warming and slightly above-normal temperatures from the central Washington Cascades southward by the afternoon.
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
Wednesday
Mostly sunny in the morning, then becoming partly to mostly cloudy in the afternoon.
Wednesday
Night
Mostly cloudy with light rain and snow developing in the early morning hours.
Wednesday
Very light rain and snow showers mostly ending by the afternoon.
Wednesday
Night
Mostly cloudy with light rain and snow developing in the early morning hours.
Wednesday
Very light rain and snow showers ending during the morning hours, leaving mostly cloudy skies.
Wednesday
Night
Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly cloudy.
Wednesday
A few rain/snow showers early, then becoming partly cloudy by the afternoon.
Wednesday
Night
Partly cloudy.
Wednesday
A few rain/snow showers early, then remaining mostly cloudy. Light W wind at the Pass.
Wednesday
Night
Partly cloudy.
Wednesday
A few rain/snow showers early, then remaining mostly cloudy. Light W wind at the Pass.
Wednesday
Night
Mostly cloudy.
Wednesday
Partly cloudy near Washington Pass with mostly clear skies further east.
Wednesday
Night
Partly cloudy.
Wednesday
A few rain/snow showers spilling over near the Cascade Crest early in the day, then becoming partly cloudy. Clear skies further east.
Wednesday
Night
Partly cloudy.
Wednesday
Clouds decreasing near the Cascade Crest with mostly sunny skies further east.
Wednesday
Night
Partly cloudy.
Wednesday
A few rain/snow showers early, then decreasing clouds with low clouds banked against the west slopes of Mt. Hood and mostly sunny skies further east. Strong ridgeline wind gusts early.
Wednesday
Night
Few clouds in the evening, then becoming mostly cloudy.
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).