Issued: 2:06 PM PST Tuesday, November 29, 2016
by Dennis D'Amico

Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather

Weather Synopsis for Tuesday & Friday

After a quiet Tuesday with only a few stray showers around, a weak Pacific frontal system will push through the Cascades during the early morning hours with light rain and snow developing overnight. The trailing longwave upper level trough will move over the region on Wednesday keeping clouds and showers in the forecast. The flow will turn more westerly and heavier precipitation should become more oriented between Stevens and Snoqualmie Passes by mid-day with the possibility of a Puget Sound Convergence Zone locally enhancing accumulations. Despite the upper trough overhead, snow levels won't be especially low and Snoqualmie Pass will likely have to contend with a rain/snow mix again.

Shower activity should taper down Wednesday night as an upper level ridge begins to build offshore. 

Weather Forecast

Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie, and White Passes
Tuesday Afternoon

Increasing high clouds, otherwise mostly cloudy with isolated showers. 

Tuesday Night

Cloudy with light rain and snow developing overnight. 

Wednesday

Light to occasionally moderate rain and snow showers becoming more focused on the central Cascades in the afternoon in and around Stevens and Snoqualmie Passes. 

Olympics
Tuesday Afternoon

Increasing high clouds, otherwise mostly cloudy with isolated showers. 

Tuesday Night

Cloudy with light rain and snow developing overnight. 

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy with light to occasionally moderate rain and snow showers. 

East slopes of the Washington Cascades
Tuesday Afternoon

Increasing high clouds, otherwise partly sunny.  

Tuesday Night

Cloudy with light rain and snow developing overnight. 

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy with light rain and snow showers mainly near the Cascade crest. 

Mt. Hood Area
Tuesday Afternoon

Increasing high clouds, otherwise partly sunny. 

Tuesday Night

Cloudy with light to occasionally moderate rain and snow developing late tonight. 

Wednesday

Light to moderate rain and snow showers. 

Snow/Freezing Level (ft)

Hurricane Ridge Mt. Baker Washington Pass Leavenworth Stevens Pass Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass Mt. Hood
Tuesday Afternoon Snow Level 3000' 4000' 3000' ' ' 4000' ' 4500'
Tuesday Night Snow Level 4000' 3000' 2500' ' ' 3500' ' 4500'
Wednesday Snow Level 3500' 3000' 3000' ' ' 3500' ' 3500'
Hurricane Ridge Elevation
Tuesday Afternoon Snow Level
3000'
Tuesday Night Snow Level
4000'
Wednesday Snow Level
3500'
Wednesday Night Snow Level
2500'
Mt. Baker Elevation
Tuesday Afternoon Snow Level
4000'
Tuesday Night Snow Level
3000'
Wednesday Snow Level
3000'
Wednesday Night Snow Level
2500'
Washington Pass Elevation
Tuesday Afternoon Snow Level
3000'
Tuesday Night Snow Level
2500'
Wednesday Snow Level
3000'
Wednesday Night Snow Level
1500'
Leavenworth Elevation
Tuesday Afternoon Snow Level
'
Tuesday Night Snow Level
'
Wednesday Snow Level
'
Wednesday Night Snow Level
'
Stevens Pass Elevation
Tuesday Afternoon Snow Level
'
Tuesday Night Snow Level
'
Wednesday Snow Level
'
Wednesday Night Snow Level
'
Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Tuesday Afternoon Snow Level
4000'
Tuesday Night Snow Level
3500'
Wednesday Snow Level
3500'
Wednesday Night Snow Level
2500'
Mt. Rainier & Crystal Elevation
Tuesday Afternoon Snow Level
'
Tuesday Night Snow Level
'
Wednesday Snow Level
'
Wednesday Night Snow Level
'
Mt. Hood Elevation
Tuesday Afternoon Snow Level
4500'
Tuesday Night Snow Level
4500'
Wednesday Snow Level
3500'
Wednesday Night Snow Level
3000'

* 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 0.25 - 0.50
Mt Baker Ski Area LT 0.10 0.50 - 0.75
Washington Pass LT 0.10 LT 0.25
Stevens Pass LT 0.10 0.75 - 1.00
Snoqualmie Pass LT 0.10 0.75 - 1.00
Mission Ridge LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Crystal Mt LT 0.10 0.25 - 0.50
Paradise LT 0.25 0 - 1.00
White Pass LT 0.10 0.25 - 0.50
Mt Hood Meadows LT 0.25 0 - 1.00
0.25 - 0.50 1.00 - 1.50

Free Winds at 5000' (mph)

Hurricane Ridge Mt. Baker Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Rainier Mt. Hood
Tuesday Afternoon S 0 - 10 S 0 - 10 S 0 - 10 --- - S 0 - 10
Tuesday Night SSW 15 - 25 SE 10 - 20 SE 10 - 20 --- - SSW 5 - 15
Wednesday Morning W 15 - 25 SW 10 - 20 W 10 - 20 --- - W 10 - 20
Wednesday Afternoon NW 15 - 25 WNW 5 - 15 W 15 - 30 --- - WNW 15 - 25
Hurricane Ridge Elevation
Tuesday Afternoon S 0 - 10
Tuesday Night SSW 15 - 25
Wednesday Morning W 15 - 25
Wednesday Afternoon NW 15 - 25
Wednesday Night NW 10 - 20
Mt. Baker Elevation
Tuesday Afternoon S 0 - 10
Tuesday Night SE 10 - 20
Wednesday Morning SW 10 - 20
Wednesday Afternoon WNW 5 - 15
Wednesday Night W 0 - 10
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Tuesday Afternoon S 0 - 10
Tuesday Night SE 10 - 20
Wednesday Morning W 10 - 20
Wednesday Afternoon W 15 - 30
Wednesday Night WNW 5 - 15
Mt. Rainier Elevation
Tuesday Afternoon --- -
Tuesday Night --- -
Wednesday Morning --- -
Wednesday Afternoon --- -
Wednesday Night --- -
Mt. Hood Elevation
Tuesday Afternoon S 0 - 10
Tuesday Night SSW 5 - 15
Wednesday Morning W 10 - 20
Wednesday Afternoon WNW 15 - 25
Wednesday Night WNW 15 - 25
Hurricane Ridge Direction - Speed
Tuesday Afternoon S 0 - 10
Tuesday Night SSW 15 - 25
Wednesday Morning W 15 - 25
Wednesday Afternoon NW 15 - 25
Wednesday Night NW 10 - 20
Mt. Baker Direction - Speed
Tuesday Afternoon S 0 - 10
Tuesday Night SE 10 - 20
Wednesday Morning SW 10 - 20
Wednesday Afternoon WNW 5 - 15
Wednesday Night W 0 - 10
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Direction - Speed
Tuesday Afternoon S 0 - 10
Tuesday Night SE 10 - 20
Wednesday Morning W 10 - 20
Wednesday Afternoon W 15 - 30
Wednesday Night WNW 5 - 15
Mt. Rainier Direction - Speed
Tuesday Afternoon --- -
Tuesday Night --- -
Wednesday Morning --- -
Wednesday Afternoon --- -
Wednesday Night --- -
Mt. Hood Direction - Speed
Tuesday Afternoon S 0 - 10
Tuesday Night SSW 5 - 15
Wednesday Morning W 10 - 20
Wednesday Afternoon WNW 15 - 25
Wednesday Night WNW 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
Tuesday Afternoon W 5 - 15 W 0 - 10 W 10 - 20 --- - WNW 10 - 20
Tuesday Night - Wednesday Morning SW 15 - 30 SW 10 - 20 SW 15 - 30 --- - SW 20 - 35
Wednesday Afternoon W 10 - 20 W 15 - 25 W 20 - 35 --- - WNW 20 - 35
Mt. Baker Direction - Speed
Tuesday Afternoon W 5 - 15
Tuesday Night - Wednesday Morning SW 15 - 30
Wednesday Afternoon W 10 - 20
Wednesday Night WNW 0 - 10
Washington Pass Direction - Speed
Tuesday Afternoon W 0 - 10
Tuesday Night - Wednesday Morning SW 10 - 20
Wednesday Afternoon W 15 - 25
Wednesday Night NW 5 - 15
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Direction - Speed
Tuesday Afternoon W 10 - 20
Tuesday Night - Wednesday Morning SW 15 - 30
Wednesday Afternoon W 20 - 35
Wednesday Night NW 10 - 20
Mt. Rainier Direction - Speed
Tuesday Afternoon --- -
Tuesday Night - Wednesday Morning --- -
Wednesday Afternoon --- -
Wednesday Night --- -
Mt. Hood Direction - Speed
Tuesday Afternoon WNW 10 - 20
Tuesday Night - Wednesday Morning SW 20 - 35
Wednesday Afternoon WNW 20 - 35
Wednesday Night NW 25 - 35

Extended Weather Synopsis for Friday night through Friday

Thursday should be a break before a stormy weekend.  A weak disturbance riding up over the top of the ridge may bring some light showers west of the crest as well as increasing cloudiness. The east slopes should be dry and at least partly sunny.  

On Friday, the upper level ridge will begin to flop over the PNW as a frontal system sags south from British Columbia and spreads precipitation over the northern half of Washington by Friday afternoon.  Light to moderate precipitation looks likely from Snoqualmie Pass to the Canadian Border with much lighter precipitation further south through Saturday morning. Forecast models are advertising a decent warming trend during this period with snow levels peaking Friday night.

Another wave of moisture rides over what's left of the ridge Saturday in moderate WNW flow and delivers a second decent shot of precipitation for the Olympics and North Cascades and not much for the south Cascades of Washington and Mt. Hood. Snow levels should start to lower Saturday during the day as the jet stream that was previously aimed into central B.C. sags south. Expect the specifics on snow levels and water amounts to flop around so far out. 

Extended Weather

Olympics, Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood
Thursday

Partly to mostly cloudy with the slight chance of a shower Olympics, west slopes of the Cascades and Mt. Hood. Partly to mostly sunny east slopes of the Cascades. 

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy. 

Friday

Increasing clouds with light rain and snow developing Olympics and North Cascades by the early afternoon and beginning to spread south. Mostly cloudy Mt. Hood.  Slow warming trend. Moderate WNW winds at crest level. 

Friday Night

Periods of moderate rain and snow Olympics and north Cascades, light to moderate rain and snow central Cascades and light rain and snow south Cascades. Moderate WNW winds at crest level. Milder. 

Saturday

Periods of moderate rain and snow Olympics and north Cascades, light to moderate rain and snow central Cascades and light rain and snow south Cascades. Moderate WNW winds at crest level. Cooling trend. 

Extended Snow/Freezing Levels

Mt. Baker Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Hood Easterly Flow *
Thursday - Friday Morning Snow Level 2000' - 3000' 2000' - 3000' 3000' - 4000'
Friday Afternoon - Saturday Morning Snow Level 4000' - 5000' 4500' - 5500' 5500' - 6500'
Mt. Baker Elevation
Thursday - Friday Morning Snow Level
2000' - 3000'
Friday Afternoon - Saturday Morning Snow Level
4000' - 5000'
Saturday Mid-day - Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
2500' - 3500'
Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Thursday - Friday Morning Snow Level
2000' - 3000'
Friday Afternoon - Saturday Morning Snow Level
4500' - 5500'
Saturday Mid-day - Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
3000' - 4000'
Mt. Hood Elevation
Thursday - Friday Morning Snow Level
3000' - 4000'
Friday Afternoon - Saturday Morning Snow Level
5500' - 6500'
Saturday Mid-day - Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
3500' - 4500'

* 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 Nov 28, 2016

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