Issued: 2:20 PM PDT Sunday, March 11, 2018
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 Sunday & Thursday

As a reminder, NWAC weather station data is in PST year round.  

As of 2 PM, we have mostly sunny skies with widespread mountain temperatures in the 40s with generally a light E or SE breeze. We are in a high amplitude pattern aloft, with broad upper level ridging over the Intermountain West and a large low complex offshore around 140W.  

After a clear night, the ridge axis will shift inland on Monday as a weak N-S oriented front approaches 130W. We will enjoy another warm and sunny day, but offshore flow gradients will increase during the day with breezy E-SE winds developing especially in the Passes and at crest level from Snoquamlie Pass and south to Mt. Hood. Freezing levels should be coolest in the NE Cascades and Stevens Pass area, only topping out around 7000 feet, with freezing levels 8000-9000 feet elsewhere. 

The weak frontal system will approach the coast Monday night, with light precipitation rotating up from the south and perhaps reaching Mt. Hood before daybreak early Tuesday morning.  E-SE winds will increase further Monday night. 

Weather Forecast

Olympics
Sunday Mostly sunny and warm.
Sunday Night Mostly clear.
Monday Mostly sunny and warm with some high clouds in the afternoon.
Washington Cascades near and west of the Crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie and White Passes
Sunday Mostly sunny and warm.
Sunday Night Mostly clear.
Monday Mostly sunny and warm. Breezy E-SE winds Passes and Cascade crest level from Snoqualmie Pass and south.
East Slopes of the Washington Cascades
Sunday Mostly sunny and warm.
Sunday Night Mostly clear.
Monday Mostly sunny and warm. Breezy E-SE winds Cascade crest level from Snoqualmie Pass and south.
Mt. Hood
Sunday Mostly sunny and warm.
Sunday Night Mostly clear.
Monday Mostly sunny and warm. Breezy E-SE winds.

Snow/Freezing Level (ft)

Hurricane Ridge Mt. Baker Washington Pass Leavenworth Stevens Pass Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass Mt. Hood
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level * 7000' 7000' 6500' ' ' 7000' ' 8000'
Sunday Night Freezing Level * 8000' 7000' 3000' ' ' 6000' ' 8000'
Monday Morning Freezing Level * 8000' 7000' 3000' ' ' 6000' ' 8000'
Monday Afternoon Freezing Level * 9000' 8500' 7000' ' ' 8500' ' 9000'
Hurricane Ridge Elevation
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
7000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Freezing Level
8000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Morning Freezing Level
8000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Afternoon Freezing Level
9000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Night Freezing Level
9000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Mt. Baker Elevation
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
7000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Freezing Level
7000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Morning Freezing Level
7000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Afternoon Freezing Level
8500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Night Freezing Level
8000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Washington Pass Elevation
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
6500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Freezing Level
3000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Morning Freezing Level
3000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Afternoon Freezing Level
7000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Night Freezing Level
5000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Leavenworth Elevation
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Morning Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Afternoon Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Night Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Stevens Pass Elevation
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Morning Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Afternoon Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Night Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
7000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Freezing Level
6000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Morning Freezing Level
6000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Afternoon Freezing Level
8500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Night Freezing Level
7500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Mt. Rainier & Crystal Elevation
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Morning Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Afternoon Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Night Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Mt. Hood Elevation
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
8000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Freezing Level
8000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Morning Freezing Level
8000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Afternoon Freezing Level
9000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Monday Night Freezing Level
9000'
(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

Thursday Thursday
Hurricane Ridge LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Mt Baker Ski Area LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Washington Pass LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Stevens Pass LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Snoqualmie Pass LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Mission Ridge LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Crystal Mt LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Paradise LT 0.10 LT 0.10
White Pass LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Mt Hood Meadows LT 0.10 LT 0.10
LT 0.10 LT 0.10

Free Winds at 5000' (mph)

Hurricane Ridge Mt. Baker Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Rainier Mt. Hood
Sunday Afternoon SE 0 - 10 SE 5 - 15 ESE 5 - 15 --- - E 5 - 15
Sunday Night SE 5 - 15 ESE 5 - 15 ESE 10 - 20 --- - ESE 10 - 20
Monday SE 10 - 20 SE 10 - 20 ESE 15 - 25 --- - ESE 15 - 25
Hurricane Ridge Elevation
Sunday Afternoon SE 0 - 10
Sunday Night SE 5 - 15
Monday SE 10 - 20
Monday Night SE 15 - 25
Mt. Baker Elevation
Sunday Afternoon SE 5 - 15
Sunday Night ESE 5 - 15
Monday SE 10 - 20
Monday Night E 15 - 25
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Sunday Afternoon ESE 5 - 15
Sunday Night ESE 10 - 20
Monday ESE 15 - 25
Monday Night ESE 20 - 35
Mt. Rainier Elevation
Sunday Afternoon --- -
Sunday Night --- -
Monday --- -
Monday Night --- -
Mt. Hood Elevation
Sunday Afternoon E 5 - 15
Sunday Night ESE 10 - 20
Monday ESE 15 - 25
Monday Night ESE 20 - 30
Hurricane Ridge Direction - Speed
Sunday Afternoon SE 0 - 10
Sunday Night SE 5 - 15
Monday SE 10 - 20
Monday Night SE 15 - 25
Mt. Baker Direction - Speed
Sunday Afternoon SE 5 - 15
Sunday Night ESE 5 - 15
Monday SE 10 - 20
Monday Night E 15 - 25
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Direction - Speed
Sunday Afternoon ESE 5 - 15
Sunday Night ESE 10 - 20
Monday ESE 15 - 25
Monday Night ESE 20 - 35
Mt. Rainier Direction - Speed
Sunday Afternoon --- -
Sunday Night --- -
Monday --- -
Monday Night --- -
Mt. Hood Direction - Speed
Sunday Afternoon E 5 - 15
Sunday Night ESE 10 - 20
Monday ESE 15 - 25
Monday Night ESE 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.

Free Winds at 9000' (mph)

Mt. Baker Washington Pass Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Rainier Mt. Hood
Sunday Afternoon S 5 - 15 S 5 - 15 S 5 - 15 --- - S 10 - 20
Sunday Night S 10 - 20 S 5 - 15 SSE 10 - 20 --- - SSE 10 - 20
Monday Morning SSE 10 - 20 S 10 - 20 SSE 10 - 20 --- - SSE 15 - 25
Monday Afternoon SE 10 - 20 SSE 15 - 25 SE 20 - 30 --- - SE 20 - 30
Mt. Baker Direction - Speed
Sunday Afternoon S 5 - 15
Sunday Night S 10 - 20
Monday Morning SSE 10 - 20
Monday Afternoon SE 10 - 20
Monday Night S 20 - 30
Washington Pass Direction - Speed
Sunday Afternoon S 5 - 15
Sunday Night S 5 - 15
Monday Morning S 10 - 20
Monday Afternoon SSE 15 - 25
Monday Night SSE 25 - 35
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Direction - Speed
Sunday Afternoon S 5 - 15
Sunday Night SSE 10 - 20
Monday Morning SSE 10 - 20
Monday Afternoon SE 20 - 30
Monday Night SSE 35 - 45
Mt. Rainier Direction - Speed
Sunday Afternoon --- -
Sunday Night --- -
Monday Morning --- -
Monday Afternoon --- -
Monday Night --- -
Mt. Hood Direction - Speed
Sunday Afternoon S 10 - 20
Sunday Night SSE 10 - 20
Monday Morning SSE 15 - 25
Monday Afternoon SE 20 - 30
Monday Night S 45 - 55

Extended Weather Synopsis for Thursday night through Thursday

The N-S oriented frontal band will slowly traverse across the Puget Sound on Tuesday and S-SE winds, especially in the Passes and in the alpine should remain elevated through the morning hours. Due to the slow frontal progression, light precipitation will take awhile to develop over the east slopes of the Cascades Tuesday.

The frontal boundary will finally lift to the NE Tuesday night as a trailing shortwave trough moves through. With a cooler air mass overhead Wednesday, showers should be driven by daytime heating in the afternoon. 

The low complex will dig south off the California coast over the extended period. A shortwave trough extending from the upper low should rotate up from the south Wednesday night, enhancing shower activity over the region on Thursday. 

Extended Weather

Olympics, Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood Area
Tuesday Light rain and snow for the Olympics, West Slopes of the Cascades and Mt. Hood. Light rain and snow developing in the afternoon for East Slopes of the Cascades. Windy through mid-day Passes and alpine. Wednesday Mostly cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers. Thursday Mostly cloudy with light to occasionally moderate rain and snow showers. Tuesday Night Mostly cloudy with light rain and snow showers. Cooling trend. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy north and central Washington Cascades, mostly cloudy with light rain and snow showers south Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood.

Extended Snow/Freezing Levels

Mt. Baker Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Hood Easterly Flow *
Tuesday Snow Level 5000' - 6000' 4500' - 5500' 4500' - 5500'
Tuesday Night Snow Level 3000' - 4000' 3000' - 4000' 3000' - 4000'
Wednesday Snow Level 2500' - 3500' 2500' - 3500' 3000' - 4000'
Wednesday Night Snow Level 3000' - 4000' 3000' - 4000' 3000' - 4000'
Mt. Baker Elevation
Tuesday Snow Level
5000' - 6000'
Tuesday Night Snow Level
3000' - 4000'
Wednesday Snow Level
2500' - 3500'
Wednesday Night Snow Level
3000' - 4000'
Thursday Snow Level
3500' - 4500'
Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Tuesday Snow Level
4500' - 5500'
Tuesday Night Snow Level
3000' - 4000'
Wednesday Snow Level
2500' - 3500'
Wednesday Night Snow Level
3000' - 4000'
Thursday Snow Level
3500' - 4500'
Mt. Hood Elevation
Tuesday Snow Level
4500' - 5500'
Tuesday Night Snow Level
3000' - 4000'
Wednesday Snow Level
3000' - 4000'
Wednesday Night Snow Level
3000' - 4000'
Thursday 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 Mar 11, 2018

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