A short-lived ridge transits the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday, but won't prevent some moisture from spilling over the ridge ahead of the next system. This will come in the form of periods of light rain/snow or light showers. Expect most snow accumulations to be in the 0-2 inch range. Cloudy skies banked against the west slopes of the Cascades won't make it very far east of the Cascade Crest in the morning, but may start to spill over more in the afternoon. Snow levels should rise to around 2500-3000 ft by the afternoon.
The warm front spreads more continuous light rain and snow into the Olympic Mountains during the early evening with light snowfall spreading throughout the Cascades overnight. Pass-level winds turn easterly and with a subtle warm sector to the system, the E flow should keep Snoqualmie Pass below freezing into early Wednesday.
The trailing cold front swings through with light to moderate precipitation and moderate SSW winds Wednesday morning. A shift to W winds in the late morning could bump snow levels to around Snoqualmie Pass elevation. Generally, light snow showers will be punctuated by moderate convergence likely focused in the Snoqualmie Pass vicinity in the afternoon hours.
Through late Wednesday, Mt. Baker can expect upwards of 1 ft of snow with 6-12" expected for Paradise and lesser amounts elsewhere.
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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Tuesday
Cloudy with light rain and snow at times.
Tuesday
Night
Light rain and snow.
Tuesday
Cloudy in the morning with light rain and snow showers at times during the afternoon.
Tuesday
Night
Increasing light to occasionally moderate rain and snow.
Tuesday
Light rain and snow showers at times.
Tuesday
Night
Increasing light rain and snow.
Tuesday
Light rain and snow showers at times.
Tuesday
Night
Light rain and snow.
Tuesday
Light rain and snow showers at times. Light ridgeline and W wind at the Pass.
Tuesday
Night
Increasing light rain and snow. Light ridgeline and E wind at the Pass.
Tuesday
Light rain and snow showers at times. Light ridgeline and W wind at the Pass.
Tuesday
Night
Increasing light rain and snow. Light ridgeline and E wind at the Pass.
Tuesday
Partly cloudy with a chance of snow flurries near the Cascade Crest.
Tuesday
Night
Increasing light snow.
Tuesday
Partly cloudy with a chance of snow flurries near the Cascade Crest.
Tuesday
Night
Increasing light snow.
Tuesday
Partly cloudy with a chance of snow flurries near the Cascade Crest.
Tuesday
Night
Increasing very light rain and snow at times.
Tuesday
Light rain and snow at times.
Tuesday
Night
Increasing light rain and snow. Strong ridgeline winds at times by morning.
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).