Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
Weather Synopsis for Wednesday & Friday
We had some new snow Tuesday and Tuesday night to ring in the new season of Mountain Weather Forecasting! West slope stations showed 5-10" above 4000 feet with a bit less down to Snoqualmie Pass, at Hurricane Ridge and along the east slopes. The new snow helped offset an otherwise dismal first Climatological Snowdepth Summary of the season.
A broad upper trough over western Canada and the US will keep light showers and a cool air mass overhead through Thursday morning. Light additional snow accumulations are possible due to shower activity.
Weak upper level ridging offshore on Thursday will amplify as it pushes inland over the West Coast Thursday night and Friday morning. A low pressure system outside of 130W and higher pressure east of the Cascades will help crank up light to moderate easterly flow Friday and Friday night dampening the warming trend aloft felt west of the Cascades.
Weather Forecast
Olympics, Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie, and White Passes
| Wednesday Afternoon - Wednesday Night |
Mostly cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers tapering down overnight. |
| Thursday |
Partly to mostly cloudy with isolated rain and snow showers. |
| Thursday Night |
Partly to mostly clear. |
Issued: 3:03 PM PST Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon | Snow Level | 3000' | 2500' | 3000' | ' | ' | 3000' | ' | 3500' |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning | Snow Level | 2500' | 2000' | 2500' | ' | ' | 2500' | ' | 2500' |
| Thursday | Snow Level | 3500' | 3000' | 3000' | ' | ' | 3000' | ' | 3500' |
| Thursday Night | Freezing Level * | 4000' | 1500' | 1500' | ' | ' | 2000' | ' | 3500' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning |
Snow Level 2500' |
| Thursday |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 2500' |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning |
Snow Level 2000' |
| Thursday |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 1500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning |
Snow Level 2500' |
| Thursday |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 1500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning |
Snow Level ' |
| Thursday |
Snow Level ' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning |
Snow Level ' |
| Thursday |
Snow Level ' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning |
Snow Level 2500' |
| Thursday |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 2000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning |
Snow Level ' |
| Thursday |
Snow Level ' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level ' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Wednesday Night - Thursday Morning |
Snow Level 2500' |
| Thursday |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 3500' (Easterly Flow *) |
* 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 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | 0.25 - 0.50 | LT 0.10 |
| Washington Pass | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Stevens Pass | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Mission Ridge | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Crystal Mt | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Paradise | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| White Pass | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Timberline | 0.25 - 0.50 | 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: 3:03 PM PST Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | SW 0 - 10 | SSW 0 - 10 | W 0 - 10 | --- - | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | S 0 - 10 | S 0 - 10 | SE 0 - 10 | --- - | SE 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | SE 5 - 15 | E 0 - 10 | SE 10 - 20 | --- - | SE 15 - 25 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | S 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | SE 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | SSW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | S 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | E 0 - 10 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | W 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SE 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | SE 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon | --- - |
| Thursday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SE 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | SE 15 - 25 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | S 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | SE 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | SSW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | S 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | E 0 - 10 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | W 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SE 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | SE 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon | --- - |
| Thursday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SE 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | SE 15 - 25 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | W 5 - 15 | W 5 - 15 | WNW 5 - 15 | --- - | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 0 - 10 | WSW 0 - 10 | WSW 5 - 15 | --- - | WSW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | S 0 - 10 | S 0 - 10 | S 5 - 15 | --- - | S 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | W 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | SW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | S 0 - 10 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | W 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | WSW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | S 0 - 10 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | S 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon | --- - |
| Thursday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Wednesday Afternoon - Thursday Morning | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | WSW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | S 15 - 25 |
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: 3:03 PM PST Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Extended Weather Synopsis for Friday night through Friday
An occluded front will spread light precipitation along with slowly lowering cloud bases inland Friday afternoon and night. The frontal boundary will begin to split as it passes through the Cascades Saturday morning with the main energy diving south into northern California, leaving our area with periods of mainly light precipitation.
A stronger shortwave may rotate through on Sunday...or we may have generally disorganized showers. Either way forecast models are having a better time agreeing that there should be a slow warming trend for the latter half of the weekend as the milder Pacific air mixes into the Cascades. The next splitting frontal system will likely impact the area on Tuesday.
Extended Weather
Olympics, Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie, and White Passes
Increasing clouds Friday with light precipitation developing along the Olympics and Cascade crest in the afternoon.
Light to occasionally moderate rain and snow.
Mostly cloudy with periods of light rain and snow.
Mostly cloudy with rain and snow showers, potentially heavy at times. Slight warming trend.
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday - Friday Night | Snow Level | 2500' - 3500' | 2500' - 3500' | 3000' - 4000' | * |
| Saturday | Snow Level | 3500' - 4500' | 3000' - 4000' | 5000' - 6500' | |
| Saturday Night - Sunday | Snow Level | 4000' - 5000' | 4000' - 5000' | 5000' - 6000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday - Friday Night |
Snow Level 2500' - 3500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday |
Snow Level 3500' - 4500' |
| Saturday Night - Sunday |
Snow Level 4000' - 5000' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday - Friday Night |
Snow Level 2500' - 3500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday |
Snow Level 3000' - 4000' |
| Saturday Night - Sunday |
Snow Level 4000' - 5000' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday - Friday Night |
Snow Level 3000' - 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday |
Snow Level 5000' - 6500' |
| Saturday Night - Sunday |
Snow Level 5000' - 6000' |
* 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 23, 2016
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.
Mountain Weather Forecasts will be issued around 130 PM daily, 7 days a week, until the full winter forecast schedule takes effect. Weekend Avalanche and Snow Outlooks will be issued weekly on Thursdays at 6 pm until full winter forecasting begins.