Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
Weather Synopsis for Thursday & Friday
A vertically stacked low pressure system is slowly meandering inland along the Columbia River Gorge this afternoon. An occluded frontal band rotated north from the low pressure system Wednesday night into Thursday morning producing a few inches of snow for most mountain sites. The frontal band has hung up over the north Cascades this afternoon producing some light snow over the Washington Pass and to a lesser extent the Mt. Baker area.
The central Cascades and Olympics saw a mix of sun and clouds today, but clear gaps are filling in as shower activity increases due an unstable air mass in place. A more organized shortwave rotating from the upper low is bringing steadier snow showers for the Mt. Hood region. An isolated thunderstorm is possible this afternoon, particularly for the central and south Cascades.
Shower activity should wane overnight as the low weakens further and drifts east. A ridge of high pressure will begin to build offshore on Friday. Low level moisture and weak onshore flow should make for a mostly cloudy forecast along the west slopes of the Cascades. A frontal system flattening the ridge, will spread increasing high clouds over the region Friday, with perhaps a few sprinkles for the Olypmics and north Cascades. Freezing levels will slowly rebound on Friday.
Weather Forecast
Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie, and White Passes
| Thursday Afternoon |
Cloudy north part with periods of light snow and rain. Mostly cloudy central and south Washington Cascades with scattered light rain and snow showers. Isolated thunderstorms possible south and central Cascades. |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning |
Mostly cloudy with decreasing light rain and snow showers. |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Mostly cloudy. Increasing high clouds in the afternoon. Chance of very light rain and snow north Cascades. |
Olympics
| Thursday Afternoon |
Mostly cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers. |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning |
Mostly cloudy with decreasing light rain and snow showers. |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Mostly cloudy. Increasing high clouds in the afternoon. Chance of very light rain and snow. |
East slopes of the Washington Cascades
| Thursday Afternoon |
Cloudy northeast Cascades with light snow and rain. Mostly cloudy central and southeast Washington Cascades with scattered light rain and snow showers. Isolated thunderstorms possible south and central Cascades. |
| Thursday Night |
Mostly cloudy with decreasing light rain and snow showers. |
| Friday - Friday Night |
Partly cloudy. Increasing high clouds in the afternoon. |
Mt. Hood Area
| Thursday Afternoon - Thursday Evening |
Cloudy with light to occasionally moderate rain and snow showers. Isolated thunderstorms possible in the afternoon. |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning |
Mostly cloudy with decreasing light rain and snow showers. |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Partly to mostly cloudy with filtered sunshine in the afternoon. |
Issued: 2:19 PM PDT Thursday, April 14, 2016
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | Snow Level | 4500' | 4500' | 5000' | ' | ' | 4500' | ' | 4500' |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | Snow Level | 4500' | 4000' | 4000' | ' | ' | 3500' | ' | 3500' |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | Freezing Level | 5500' | 5500' | 6500' | ' | ' | 6000' | ' | 7000' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Freezing Level 6500' |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning |
Snow Level ' |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Freezing Level ' |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning |
Snow Level ' |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Freezing Level ' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning |
Snow Level ' |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Freezing Level ' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night |
Freezing Level 7000' |
* Easterly flow in the Cascade Passes can cause locally lower Snow or Freezing levels than areas further west.
Freezing Level is when no precipitation is forecast.
Precipitation Forecast
| Friday | Friday | |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ridge | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Washington Pass | 0.25 - 0.50 | LT 0.10 |
| Stevens Pass | 0 - 0.50 | LT 0.10 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | 0.25 - 0.50 | LT 0.10 |
| Mission Ridge | 0 - 0.50 | LT 0.10 |
| Crystal Mt | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Paradise | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| White Pass | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | 0 - 0.75 | LT 0.10 |
| Timberline | 0 - 1.00 | LT 0.10 |
LT = less than; WE or Water equivalent is the liquid water equivalent of melted snow in hundredths of inches. As a rough approximation 1 inch of snow = about .10 inches WE, or 10 inches of snow = about 1 inch WE.
Issued: 2:19 PM PDT Thursday, April 14, 2016
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | N 0 - 10 | NE 0 - 10 | NW 5 - 15 | --- - | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 0 - 10 | W 0 - 10 | W 0 - 10 | --- - | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | S 0 - 10 | SW 0 - 10 | W 0 - 10 | --- - | W 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | N 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | S 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | NE 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | NW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | W 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | --- - |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | --- - |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | W 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | N 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | S 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | NE 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | NW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | W 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | --- - |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | --- - |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | WNW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon - Friday Night | W 0 - 10 |
Directions above indicate the direction the wind blows from on the 16-point cardinal scale. These winds indicate "free" winds, or those winds in the atmosphere not influenced by terrain. Topographical effects may produce greater or lower wind speeds in certain locations as well as significant variations in direction.
Free Winds at 9000' (mph)
| Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | NE 5 - 15 | NE 5 - 15 | NNW 10 - 20 | --- - | WNW 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | NW 5 - 15 | NW 5 - 15 | NNW 10 - 20 | --- - | N 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 | WSW 10 - 20 | W 15 - 25 | --- - | W 5 - 15 |
| Friday Night | W 10 - 20 | W 5 - 15 | W 5 - 15 | --- - | W 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday | NE 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | NW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Night | W 10 - 20 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday | NE 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | NW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Night | W 5 - 15 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday | NNW 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | NNW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | W 15 - 25 |
| Friday Night | W 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday | --- - |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | --- - |
| Friday Afternoon | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday | WNW 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Night - Friday Morning | N 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | W 5 - 15 |
| Friday Night | W 5 - 15 |
Directions above indicate the direction the wind blows from on the 16-point cardinal scale. These winds indicate "free" winds, or those winds in the atmosphere not influenced by terrain. Topographical effects may produce greater or lower wind speeds in certain locations as well as significant variations in direction.
Issued: 2:19 PM PDT Thursday, April 14, 2016
Extended Weather Synopsis for Friday night through Friday
The ridge will shift the frontal boundary slightly northward on Saturday and freezing levels should gradually rise. Skies have the best shot of clearing and becoming mostly sunny for the south Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood on Saturday.
The ridge axis shifts inland on Sunday and finally amplifies shifting lingering moisture well into central British Columbia, paving the way for sunshine and high freezing levels that will last into Monday.
Extended Weather
Olympics, Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood
Mostly cloudy north Cascades and Olympics. Partly to mostly sunny south Cascades with filtered sunshine. Warming trend.
Mostly clear and warm.
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | Freezing Level | 7500' - 8500' | 8000' - 9000' | 9500' - 10500' | |
| Sunday - Monday | Freezing Level | 11500' - 12500' | 11500' - 12500' | 12000' - 13000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday |
Freezing Level 7500' - 8500' |
| Sunday - Monday |
Freezing Level 11500' - 12500' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday |
Freezing Level 8000' - 9000' |
| Sunday - Monday |
Freezing Level 11500' - 12500' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday |
Freezing Level 9500' - 10500' |
| Sunday - Monday |
Freezing Level 12000' - 13000' |
* Easterly flow in the Cascade Passes can cause locally lower Snow or Freezing levels than areas further west.
Freezing Level is when no precipitation is forecast.
Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
Previous forecast from Apr 4, 2016
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