Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
Weather Synopsis for Friday night through Saturday
A quick-moving and narrow front will continue to move SE through the southern Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood area through the evening hours. In its wake, several pronounced convergence zones have been consistently developing in the models. The Olympic convergence will bring up to 0.5" of snow water equivalent to areas near Snoqualmie Pass while a Vancouver Island convergence zone is forecast to bring up to 0.5-0.75" of water to parts of the mountain loop, but might impact Stevens as well. The exact locations of these convergence bands are difficult to predict, but they will bring substantial additional snowfall. Frontal energy focusing on Mt. Hood will bring the most water to that region as west winds behind the front continue orographic enhanced snow showers.
The upper low associated with Friday's frontal system will linger off the coast of Vancouver Island Saturday and Saturday night before moving onshore over Washington State on Sunday. The jetstream will remain south of Washington State, focused on Oregon, keeping the highest snow totals over the Hood area throughout the forecast period, but on Saturday even there it will be light.
Due to an amplifying ridge over Alaska, the jet makes a very sharp bend, bringing cold air from interior northern Canada into our near-shore waters, allowing it to pick up moisture, and then pushing that cold, unstable air onshore into Oregon, particularly starting on Saturday night and Sunday as significant snow totals are forecast in the Mt. Hood and potentially into the southern Washington Cascades.
Weather Forecast
Hurricane Ridge
| Friday Night | Light snow showers at times. Cool. Moderate winds decreasing to light to moderate. |
| Saturday | Light snow showers. Cooler. Light to moderate winds becoming light. |
Mt. Baker
| Friday Night | Light snow showers at times. Cool. Light to moderate winds. |
| Saturday | Light snow showers. Cooler. Light to moderate winds becoming light. |
Washington Pass and Leavenworth
| Friday Night | Light snow showers at times, heaviest in convergence bands closer to the Cascade Crest. Cool. Light to moderate winds. |
| Saturday | Very light snow showers. Cooler. Light to moderate winds becoming light. |
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass
| Friday Night | Bands of moderate to heavy snow in convergence near Snoqualmie Pass and likely slightly north of Stevens Pass during the evening, then becoming light snow showers. Cool. Light to moderate 5000 ft and west winds through the passes. |
| Saturday | Light snow showers. Cooler. Light to moderate west winds at 5000 ft becoming light. Light west wind through the passes. |
Mt. Rainier, Crystal and White Pass
| Friday Night | Light snow early, then becoming very light snow showers. Cool. Light to moderate winds. |
| Saturday | Light snow showers. Cooler. Light to moderate winds becoming light. |
Mt. Hood
| Friday Night | Moderate snow becoming light after midnight. Cool. Strong winds decreasing slightly after midnight. |
| Saturday | Light snow showers. Cooler. Decreasing moderate to strong winds. |
Issued: 2:40 PM PST Friday, February 22, 2019
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Evening | Snow Level | 1500' | 1000' | 500' | 500' | 1000' | 1500' | 1500' | 2000' |
| Friday Night | Snow Level | 1000' | 500' | 0' | 0' | 0' | 500' | 500' | 1500' |
| Saturday Morning | Snow Level | 1000' | 500' | 0' | 0' | 0' | 500' | 500' | 1000' |
| Saturday Afternoon | Snow Level | 1500' | 1000' | 1000' | 1000' | 1000' | 1000' | 1500' | 2000' |
| Saturday Evening | Snow Level * | 1500' | 1000' | 1000' | 1000' | 1000' | 1500' | 1500' | 2000' |
| Saturday Night | Snow Level * | 1500' | 1000' | 500' | 500' | 1000' | 1000' | 1500' | 2000' |
| Sunday Morning | Snow Level * | 1000' | 500' | 0' | 0' | 0' | 500' | 500' | 1500' |
| Sunday Afternoon | Snow Level * | 0' | 0' | 0' | 0' | 0' | 0' | 0' | 0' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 1500' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 1000' |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 1000' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 1500' |
| Saturday Evening |
Snow Level 1500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 1500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 1000' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 500' |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 500' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 1000' |
| Saturday Evening |
Snow Level 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 500' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 0' |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 0' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 1000' |
| Saturday Evening |
Snow Level 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 500' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 0' |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 0' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 1000' |
| Saturday Evening |
Snow Level 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 1000' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 0' |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 0' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 1000' |
| Saturday Evening |
Snow Level 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 1500' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 500' |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 500' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 1000' |
| Saturday Evening |
Snow Level 1500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 1500' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 500' |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 500' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 1500' |
| Saturday Evening |
Snow Level 1500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 1500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 0' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening |
Snow Level 2000' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 1500' |
| Saturday Morning |
Snow Level 1000' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Snow Level 2000' |
| Saturday Evening |
Snow Level 2000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 2000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Morning |
Snow Level 1500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Afternoon |
Snow Level 0' (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 Night | Saturday | Saturday Night | Saturday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 pm - 4 am | 4 am - 4 pm | 4 pm - 4 am | 4 am - 4 pm | |
| Hurricane Ridge | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | LT 0.25 | 0.25 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Washington Pass | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Leavenworth | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Stevens Pass | 0.25 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | 0.25 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Mission Ridge | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 | 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Crystal Mt | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.25 |
| Paradise | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | LT 0.25 |
| White Pass | 0.25 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.25 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | 0.75 | 0.25 | 0.50 | 0.75 |
| Timberline | 0.75 | 0.25 | 0.50 | 0.75 -1.00 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Friday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Saturday | LT 0.25 |
| Saturday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Saturday | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Friday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Saturday | 0.25 |
| Saturday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Saturday | LT 0.10 |
| Washington Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Friday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Saturday | LT 0.10 |
| Saturday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Saturday | LT 0.10 |
| Leavenworth | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Friday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Saturday | LT 0.10 |
| Saturday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Saturday | LT 0.10 |
| Stevens Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Friday Night | 0.25 |
| Saturday | LT 0.25 |
| Saturday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Saturday | LT 0.10 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Friday Night | 0.25 |
| Saturday | LT 0.25 |
| Saturday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Saturday | LT 0.10 |
| Mission Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Friday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Saturday | LT 0.10 |
| Saturday Night | 0.25 |
| Saturday | LT 0.10 |
| Crystal Mt | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Friday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Saturday | LT 0.10 |
| Saturday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Saturday | LT 0.25 |
| Paradise | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Friday Night | 0.25 |
| Saturday | 0.25 |
| Saturday Night | 0.25 |
| Saturday | LT 0.25 |
| White Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Friday Night | 0.25 |
| Saturday | LT 0.10 |
| Saturday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Saturday | LT 0.25 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Friday Night | 0.75 |
| Saturday | 0.25 |
| Saturday Night | 0.50 |
| Saturday | 0.75 |
| Timberline | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Friday Night | 0.75 |
| Saturday | 0.25 |
| Saturday Night | 0.50 |
| Saturday | 0.75 -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: 2:40 PM PST Friday, February 22, 2019
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Evening | W 15 - 25 | SW 10 - 20 | WSW 15 - 25 | WSW 10 - 20 | WSW 30 - 45 |
| Friday Night | W 10 - 20 | SW 10 - 20 | WSW 10 - 20 | WSW 10 - 20 | W 25 - 35 |
| Saturday Morning | WSW 10 - 20 | SW 10 - 20 | W 10 - 20 | WSW 10 - 20 | W 25 - 35 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 5 - 15 | S 5 - 15 | WSW 5 - 15 | WSW 5 - 15 | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | W 15 - 25 |
| Friday Night | W 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Morning | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | SW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Afternoon | S 5 - 15 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Night | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Morning | W 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Night | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Morning | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | WSW 30 - 45 |
| Friday Night | W 25 - 35 |
| Saturday Morning | W 25 - 35 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | W 15 - 25 |
| Friday Night | W 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Morning | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | SW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Afternoon | S 5 - 15 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Night | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Morning | W 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Night | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Morning | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | WSW 30 - 45 |
| Friday Night | W 25 - 35 |
| Saturday Morning | W 25 - 35 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Evening | W 20 - 30 | W 25 - 35 | W 25 - 35 | W 30 - 45 | WSW 40 - 60 |
| Friday Night | WSW 15 - 25 | W 20 - 30 | W 25 - 35 | W 25 - 35 | WSW 40 - 60 |
| Saturday Morning | WSW 10 - 20 | W 10 - 20 | W 20 - 30 | W 25 - 35 | W 30 - 45 |
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 5 - 15 | WSW 5 - 15 | WSW 15 - 25 | WSW 15 - 25 | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | W 20 - 30 |
| Friday Night | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Saturday Morning | WSW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 5 - 15 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | W 25 - 35 |
| Friday Night | W 20 - 30 |
| Saturday Morning | W 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 5 - 15 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | W 25 - 35 |
| Friday Night | W 25 - 35 |
| Saturday Morning | W 20 - 30 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | W 30 - 45 |
| Friday Night | W 25 - 35 |
| Saturday Morning | W 25 - 35 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Friday Evening | WSW 40 - 60 |
| Friday Night | WSW 40 - 60 |
| Saturday Morning | W 30 - 45 |
| Saturday Afternoon | WSW 25 - 35 |
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: 2:40 PM PST Friday, February 22, 2019
Extended Weather Synopsis for Saturday night through Saturday
The digging trough over our region and extending into the near-shore waters will spawn a developing surface low that is expected to track somewhere across the Pacific Northwest Monday through Monday night, bringing heavy snowfall and likely strong winds, but models are still highly uncertain about the track of this potentially impactful system. By Tuesday we may either still be in the storm track or under cool snow showery regimes with an upper trough, the models have diverged.
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday Night | Snow Level | 0' - 1000' | 0' - 1000' | 500' - 1500' | * |
| Monday | Snow Level | 0' - 1000' | 0' - 1000' | 0' - 1000' | * |
| Monday Night | Snow Level | 0' - 1000' | 0' - 1000' | 1000' - 2000' | * |
| Tuesday | Snow Level | 0' - 1000' | 0' - 1000' | 2000' - 3000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Tuesday |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Tuesday |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 500' - 1500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 1000' - 2000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Tuesday |
Snow Level 2000' - 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.
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 22, 2019
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.