Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
Weather Synopsis for Saturday & Saturday
A broad upper level ridge is anchored offshore just outside of 130W. NW flow aloft will continue to deliver moist weather systems, riding up and over the ridge through the weekend. Generally light precipitation should be seen today, mainly along the west slopes of the Cascades. Drier air at mid-levels should allow for a mix of sun and clouds for the south Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood. Cloud cover should diminish quickly east of the Cascade crest in this pattern. Crest level winds out of the W-NW will stay elevated throughout the weekend.
Snow levels are hanging around 5000-5500 feet this morning in the central and northwest Cascades but will slowly rise during the day. While warmer air has mixed down to the surface east of the Cascades, the Washington Pass area will once again be the local cool spot. However, even the northeast Cascades should see an increase in snow levels on Sunday.
An ill-defined weather system will approach the area tonight from the NW with increasing precipitation and westerly winds through Sunday afternoon. Precipitation (mainly rain) will be heaviest along the west slopes of the Cascades and Olympics, with sharply decreasing precipitation amounts east of the Cascade crest and to a lesser extent down at Mt. Hood. A frontal boundary passing through the area Sunday afternoon will begin to lower snow levels overnight.
Weather Forecast
Olympics
| Saturday | Cloudy with periods of light rain and snow. Mild. |
| Saturday Night | Light to moderate rain and snow. Mild. |
| Sunday | Light to moderate rain. Windy. Mild. |
| Sunday Night | Light to occasionally moderate rain and snow becoming light rain and snow showers in the evening. Cooling trend. |
Washington Cascades near and west of the Crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie and White Passes
| Saturday | Cloudy with periods of light rain and snow developing south Cascades in the afternoon. Light rain and snow increasing Snoqualmie Pass and north in the afternoon. Slight warming trend. |
| Saturday Night | Light to moderate rain and snow spreading southward overnight. Warming trend. |
| Sunday | Moderate rain and snow, occasionally heavy. Windy. Mild. |
| Sunday Night | Light to moderate rain and snow becoming light to occasionally moderate rain and snow showers. Cooling trend. |
East Slopes of the Washington Cascades
| Saturday | Cloudy with periods of light rain and snow near the Cascade crest. Partly to mostly cloudy central and southeast Cascades away from the crest. Slight warming trend. |
| Saturday Night | Light to occasionally moderate rain and snow developing northeast Cascades and spreading southward overnight. |
| Sunday | Light to moderate rain and snow, heaviest near the crest. Windy. Mild. |
| Sunday Night | Light to occasionally moderate rain and snow becoming light rain and snow showers. Cooling trend. |
Mt. Hood
| Saturday | Cloudy with periods of light rain and snow decreasing in the afternoon. Becoming partly to mostly cloudy in the afternoon. Mild. Windy. |
| Saturday Night | Light rain, becoming occasionally moderate rain after midnight. Mild. |
| Sunday | Light to occasionally moderate rain. Mild. Increasing winds. |
| Sunday Night | Light to occasionally moderate rain becoming showers overnight. Windy. Cooling trend. |
Issued: 2:52 PM PST Saturday, February 3, 2018
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | Snow Level | 7000' | 5500' | 5000' | ' | ' | 6000' | ' | 8000' |
| Saturday Night | Snow Level | 8000' | 6000' | 5000' | ' | ' | 7000' | ' | 8000' |
| Sunday Morning | Snow Level | 8000' | 6500' | 5500' | ' | ' | 7500' | ' | 8000' |
| Sunday Afternoon | Snow Level | 7500' | 6500' | 6500' | ' | ' | 7000' | ' | 8000' |
| Sunday Night | Snow Level | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' | ' | ' | 5000' | ' | 5500' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 7000' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 8000' |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 8000' |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 7500' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5500' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 6000' |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 6500' |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 6500' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 5500' |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 6500' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 6000' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 7000' |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 7500' |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 7000' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 8000' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 8000' |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 8000' |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 8000' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 5500' |
* 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
| Saturday | Saturday | |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ridge | 0.25 - 0.50 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | 0 - 1.00 | 1.50 - 2.00 |
| Washington Pass | 0.25 - 0.50 | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Stevens Pass | 0.50 - 0.75 | 0 - 2.00 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | 0 - 1.00 | 2.00 - 2.50 |
| Mission Ridge | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 |
| Crystal Mt | LT 0.25 | 0 - 0.50 |
| Paradise | 1.00 - 1.50 | 2.00 - 3.00 |
| White Pass | LT 0.25 | 0 - 1.00 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | LT 0.25 | 0.75 - 1.00 |
| Timberline | 0.25 - 0.50 | 0 - 1.00 |
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: 2:52 PM PST Saturday, February 3, 2018
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | W 15 - 25 | SW 10 - 20 | WSW 10 - 20 | --- - | W 20 - 30 |
| Saturday Night | WSW 10 - 20 | SW 5 - 15 | WSW 20 - 30 | --- - | W 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Morning | WSW 15 - 25 | SW 10 - 20 | WSW 25 - 35 | --- - | W 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Afternoon | WSW 20 - 30 | WSW 20 - 30 | WSW 25 - 45 | --- - | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Sunday Night | W 15 - 25 | SW 10 - 20 | WSW 15 - 25 | --- - | W 30 - 40 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | W 15 - 25 |
| Saturday Night | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Sunday Morning | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Sunday Afternoon | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Night | W 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | SW 5 - 15 |
| Sunday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Sunday Afternoon | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Morning | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Sunday Afternoon | WSW 25 - 45 |
| Sunday Night | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | --- - |
| Saturday Night | --- - |
| Sunday Morning | --- - |
| Sunday Afternoon | --- - |
| Sunday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | W 20 - 30 |
| Saturday Night | W 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Morning | W 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Afternoon | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Sunday Night | W 30 - 40 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | W 15 - 25 |
| Saturday Night | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Sunday Morning | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Sunday Afternoon | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Night | W 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | SW 5 - 15 |
| Sunday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Sunday Afternoon | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Morning | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Sunday Afternoon | WSW 25 - 45 |
| Sunday Night | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | --- - |
| Saturday Night | --- - |
| Sunday Morning | --- - |
| Sunday Afternoon | --- - |
| Sunday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | W 20 - 30 |
| Saturday Night | W 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Morning | W 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Afternoon | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Sunday Night | W 30 - 40 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | W 30 - 40 | W 45 - 55 | WNW 55 - 70 | --- - | NW 55 - 65 |
| Saturday Night | WNW 30 - 40 | W 35 - 45 | WNW 45 - 60 | --- - | WNW 35 - 45 |
| Sunday Morning | W 40 - 50 | W 50 - 60 | W 45 - 55 | --- - | WNW 30 - 40 |
| Sunday Afternoon | W 35 - 45 | W 50 - 60 | W 40 - 50 | --- - | W 40 - 50 |
| Sunday Night | W 25 - 35 | W 35 - 45 | WNW 40 - 50 | --- - | WNW 45 - 55 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | W 30 - 40 |
| Saturday Night | WNW 30 - 40 |
| Sunday Morning | W 40 - 50 |
| Sunday Afternoon | W 35 - 45 |
| Sunday Night | W 25 - 35 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | W 45 - 55 |
| Saturday Night | W 35 - 45 |
| Sunday Morning | W 50 - 60 |
| Sunday Afternoon | W 50 - 60 |
| Sunday Night | W 35 - 45 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | WNW 55 - 70 |
| Saturday Night | WNW 45 - 60 |
| Sunday Morning | W 45 - 55 |
| Sunday Afternoon | W 40 - 50 |
| Sunday Night | WNW 40 - 50 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | --- - |
| Saturday Night | --- - |
| Sunday Morning | --- - |
| Sunday Afternoon | --- - |
| Sunday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | NW 55 - 65 |
| Saturday Night | WNW 35 - 45 |
| Sunday Morning | WNW 30 - 40 |
| Sunday Afternoon | W 40 - 50 |
| Sunday Night | WNW 45 - 55 |
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: 2:52 PM PST Saturday, February 3, 2018
Extended Weather Synopsis for Saturday night through Saturday
The upper level ridge will retrograde slightly to the west Sunday night and into Monday, allowing a brief cooling trend over the region. NW flow aloft will continue on Monday, but snowfall will return in the form of showers above 3500-4500 feet. Showers should diminish on Monday night. This repetitive pattern returns as the ridge axis shifts back towards us and another weak system comes over the top of the ridge Tuesday in NW flow aloft, most likely impacting the Olympics, central and northwest Cascades, with a drier/less cloudy forecast for the east slopes of the Cascades and Mt. Hood. Snow levels will begin to rise once again on Tuesday. The ridge should temporarily flatten on Wednesday as a strong frontal system begins to sag south from central British Columbia, but precipitation should largely hold off during the daylight hours outside of the northwest Cascades.
Extended Weather
Olympics, Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood Area
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Snow Level | 3500' - 4500' | 3500' - 4500' | 3500' - 4500' | |
| Monday Night | Snow Level | 3000' - 4000' | 3000' - 4000' | 3500' - 4500' | |
| Tuesday | Snow Level | 3000' - 4000' | 3500' - 4500' | 5000' - 6000' | |
| Tuesday Night | Snow Level | 5000' - 6000' | 5500' - 6500' | 7000' - 8000' | |
| Wednesday | Snow Level | 6000' - 7000' | 6000' - 7000' | 8000' - 9000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Monday |
Snow Level 3500' - 4500' |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 3000' - 4000' |
| Tuesday |
Snow Level 3000' - 4000' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level 5000' - 6000' |
| Wednesday |
Snow Level 6000' - 7000' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Monday |
Snow Level 3500' - 4500' |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 3000' - 4000' |
| Tuesday |
Snow Level 3500' - 4500' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level 5500' - 6500' |
| Wednesday |
Snow Level 6000' - 7000' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Monday |
Snow Level 3500' - 4500' |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 3500' - 4500' |
| Tuesday |
Snow Level 5000' - 6000' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level 7000' - 8000' |
| Wednesday |
Snow Level 8000' - 9000' |
* 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 Feb 3, 2018
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