Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
Weather Synopsis for Sunday & Sunday
Northwest flow aloft and a steady stream of warm frontal moisture extending from a low off the Alaska Panhandle continues to deliver more precipitation today. Snow levels were quite low to start off and many NWAC stations have picked up an additional 6-12" of new snow since 4 am. All of this new snow has come with a significant warming trend that will continue through the evening. After starting at 2000 feet or so this morning...snow levels has risen to around 4000 feet in the south and 3000-3500 feet in the central and north. After a relative lull late this morning, westerly winds should increase later this afternoon and continue to be strong overnight.
The upper level ridge offshore around 140 W will continue to shift east through the short term and push the jet stream well into Canada. Steady rain and snow should shift north on Monday, with a drying trend for Mt. Hood and lighter precipitation for the south and central Cascades and Olympics. Only the north Cascades should continue to see moderate precipitation rates at moderate snow levels before tapering off late Monday night.
Weather Forecast
Olympics, Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie, and White Passes
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Evening |
Moderate to heavy rain and snow. Strong winds increasing late in the afternoon. Rapid warming trend in the afternoon. |
| Sunday Night |
Moderate rain and snow tapering from south to north and becoming light late Sunday night south and central Washington Cascades. Continuing strong winds. |
| Monday |
Light rain and snow, except occasionally moderate north Cascades. Winds beginning to ease Monday afternoon. |
| Monday Night |
Light rain and snow ending from south to north overnight. |
East slopes of the Washington Cascades
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Evening |
Moderate rain and snow, decreasing to light rain and snow with broken skies away from the crest. Strong winds increasing in the afternoon. Rapid warming trend in the afternoon. |
| Sunday Night |
Light rain and snow tapering from south to north overnight and becoming partly cloudy south and central east slopes. Continuing strong winds. |
| Monday |
Light rain and snow northeast Cascades. Partly cloudy elsewhere. Winds beginning to ease Monday afternoon. |
| Monday Night |
Light rain and snow northeast Cascades ending overnight. Partly to mostly clear elsewhere. |
Mt. Hood Area
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Evening |
Moderate to heavy rain and snow. Strong winds increasing late in the afternoon. Rapid warming trend in the afternoon. |
| Sunday Night |
Moderate rain and snow tapering down Sunday night. Continuing strong winds. |
| Monday |
Light rain and snow ending Monday morning and becoming partly sunny in the afternoon. |
| Monday Night |
Mostly cloudy becoming partly cloudy overnight. |
Issued: 1:17 PM PST Sunday, January 12, 2014
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon | Snow Level | 5500' | ' | ' | ' | ' | 4500' | ' | 5000' |
| Sunday Night | Snow Level | 5500' | ' | ' | ' | ' | 4500' | ' | 5000' |
| Monday | Snow Level | 5000' | ' | ' | ' | ' | 4000' | ' | 5000' |
| Monday Night | Snow Level | 5500' | ' | ' | ' | ' | 4500' | ' | 7000' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5500' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 5500' |
| Monday |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 5500' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Monday |
Snow Level ' |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Monday |
Snow Level ' |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Monday |
Snow Level ' |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Monday |
Snow Level ' |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Monday |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Monday |
Snow Level ' |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Monday |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Monday Night |
Snow 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
| Sunday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ridge | 0.50 - 0.75 | LT 0.25 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | 0 - 1.50 | 0 - 0.75 |
| Washington Pass | 0 - 0.75 | LT 0.25 |
| Stevens Pass | 1.50 - 2.00 | LT 0.25 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | 0 - 2.00 | LT 0.25 |
| Mission Ridge | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Crystal Mt | 0 - 1.00 | LT 0.10 |
| Paradise | 1.50 - 2.00 | LT 0.25 |
| White Pass | 1.00 - 1.50 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | 0 - 2.00 | LT 0.10 |
| Timberline | 0 - 2.00 | 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: 1:17 PM PST Sunday, January 12, 2014
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Night | W 35 - 50 | --- - | WSW 35 - 50 | --- - | W 30 - 40 |
| Monday Morning | W 30 - 40 | --- - | WSW 35 - 45 | --- - | W 20 - 30 |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | WNW 15 - 25 | --- - | W 20 - 30 | --- - | WNW 15 - 25 |
| Monday Night | W 10 - 20 | --- - | W 10 - 20 | --- - | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Night | W 35 - 50 |
| Monday Morning | W 30 - 40 |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | WNW 15 - 25 |
| Monday Night | W 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Night | --- - |
| Monday Morning | --- - |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | --- - |
| Monday Night | --- - |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Night | WSW 35 - 50 |
| Monday Morning | WSW 35 - 45 |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | W 20 - 30 |
| Monday Night | W 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Night | --- - |
| Monday Morning | --- - |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | --- - |
| Monday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Night | W 30 - 40 |
| Monday Morning | W 20 - 30 |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | WNW 15 - 25 |
| Monday Night | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Night | W 35 - 50 |
| Monday Morning | W 30 - 40 |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | WNW 15 - 25 |
| Monday Night | W 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Night | --- - |
| Monday Morning | --- - |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | --- - |
| Monday Night | --- - |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Night | WSW 35 - 50 |
| Monday Morning | WSW 35 - 45 |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | W 20 - 30 |
| Monday Night | W 10 - 20 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Night | --- - |
| Monday Morning | --- - |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | --- - |
| Monday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Night | W 30 - 40 |
| Monday Morning | W 20 - 30 |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | WNW 15 - 25 |
| Monday Night | WNW 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.
Free Winds at 9000' (mph)
| Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Evening | --- - | --- - | WNW 55 - 65 | --- - | NW 55 - 65 |
| Monday Morning | --- - | --- - | WNW 60 - 80 | --- - | WNW 55 - 65 |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | --- - | --- - | NW 50 - 60 | --- - | NW 55 - 65 |
| Monday Night | --- - | --- - | NW 35 - 50 | --- - | NW 20 - 30 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Evening | --- - |
| Monday Morning | --- - |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | --- - |
| Monday Night | --- - |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Evening | --- - |
| Monday Morning | --- - |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | --- - |
| Monday Night | --- - |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Evening | WNW 55 - 65 |
| Monday Morning | WNW 60 - 80 |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | NW 50 - 60 |
| Monday Night | NW 35 - 50 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Evening | --- - |
| Monday Morning | --- - |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | --- - |
| Monday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Afternoon - Sunday Evening | NW 55 - 65 |
| Monday Morning | WNW 55 - 65 |
| Monday Afternoon - Monday Evening | NW 55 - 65 |
| Monday Night | NW 20 - 30 |
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: 1:17 PM PST Sunday, January 12, 2014
Extended Weather Synopsis for Sunday night through Sunday
The upper level ridge will be firmly in control through the rest of the week. A weak frontal system will fail to crash the ridge Tuesday and Wednesday...but may produce some more cloud cover closer to the Canadian Border. Otherwise mild and mostly clear conditions are expected Tuesday through Thursday with mild freezing levels of around 10000 feet. Strong surface high pressure should develop over Eastern Washington by Thursday...increasing offshore flow through the passes.
The next weather system may not arrive until next weekend.
Extended Weather
Olympics, Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood Area
Tuesday - WednesdayPartly to mostly cloudy north, mostly clear central and south. Mild.
ThursdayMostly clear and mild.
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning | Freezing Level | ' - ' | 6000' - 7000' | 9000' - 10000' | |
| Tuesday Afternoon - Thursday | Freezing Level | ' - ' | 9000' - 11000' | 10000' - 12000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning |
Freezing Level ' - ' |
| Tuesday Afternoon - Thursday |
Freezing Level ' - ' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning |
Freezing Level 6000' - 7000' |
| Tuesday Afternoon - Thursday |
Freezing Level 9000' - 11000' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning |
Freezing Level 9000' - 10000' |
| Tuesday Afternoon - Thursday |
Freezing Level 10000' - 12000' |
* 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 Jan 12, 2014
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.