Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
Weather Synopsis for Thursday night through Sunday
The Pacific Northwest sits in the middle of split upper level flow with high pressure anchored over British Columbia and a closed low off the Oregon coast and the storm track passing far to our north or south. In this pattern, marginal atmospheric instability should lead to isolated to scattered afternoon mountain showers over the next several days.
Forecast models diverge on how much influence the closed low off the coast vs. higher pressure to our north will exert over the forecast area. Areas closer to the low including the south Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood seem like a better bet for showers with colder air aloft translating into more instability. A fair bit of high and mid clouds even as afternoon cumulus wane will make it hard to pin out a truly clear period tonight. On Saturday, the closed low will weaken and become an open trough passing through the Cascades. The result will be the same with an increasing chance of mountain showers in the afternoon although the air mass does not look as cold aloft or unstable as previous days. Relatively light winds should be seen over the next several days in this spring-time pattern.
Despite precipitation forecast in the form of showers, freezing levels will be indicated since precipitation amounts are expected to be light. For areas that do see afternoon showers, snow levels will fall roughly 1000 ft below the forecasted freezing levels.
Weather Forecast
Hurricane Ridge
| Thursday Night | Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers in the evening becoming partly to mostly clear overnight. |
| Friday | Partly cloudy in the morning becoming partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. |
Mt. Baker
| Thursday Night | Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers in the evening becoming partly to mostly clear overnight. |
| Friday | Partly cloudy in the morning becoming partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. |
Washington Pass and Leavenworth
| Thursday Night | Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers in the evening becoming partly to mostly clear overnight. |
| Friday | Partly cloudy in the morning becoming partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. |
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass
| Thursday Night | Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers in the evening becoming partly to mostly clear overnight. Light east wind in the Passes. |
| Friday | Partly cloudy in the morning becoming mostly cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. Slight chance of an afternoon thunderstorm. Light west wind in the Passes. |
Mt. Rainier, Crystal and White Pass
| Thursday Night | Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers in the evening becoming partly to mostly clear overnight. |
| Friday | Partly cloudy in the morning becoming mostly cloudy with light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. Slight chance of an afternoon thunderstorm. |
Mt. Hood
| Thursday Night | Mostly cloudy with scattered showers in the evening becoming partly cloudy overnight. |
| Friday | Partly cloudy in the morning becoming mostly cloudy with light rain and snow showers in the afternoon. Slight chance of an afternoon thunderstorm. |
Issued: 2:19 PM PDT Thursday, March 28, 2019
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | Freezing Level | 5000' | 5000' | 4500' | 4500' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' |
| Thursday Night | Freezing Level | 5000' | 5000' | 4500' | 4500' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' |
| Friday Morning | Freezing Level | 5000' | 5000' | 4500' | 4500' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' |
| Friday Afternoon | Freezing Level | 6000' | 6500' | 6500' | 6500' | 6000' | 6000' | 6000' | 6000' |
| Friday Evening | Freezing Level | 5500' | 5500' | 5500' | 5500' | 5500' | 5500' | 5500' | 5500' |
| Friday Night | Freezing Level | 5000' | 5000' | 4500' | 4500' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' |
| Saturday Morning | Freezing Level | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' | 5000' |
| Saturday Afternoon | Freezing Level | 6000' | 6500' | 6500' | 6500' | 6000' | 6000' | 6000' | 6000' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Friday Evening |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6500' |
| Friday Evening |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6500' |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 4500' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 4500' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 4500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6500' |
| Friday Evening |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level 4500' |
| Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6500' |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 4500' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 4500' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 4500' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6500' |
| Friday Evening |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level 4500' |
| Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6500' |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Friday Evening |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Friday Evening |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Friday Evening |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Friday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' |
| Friday Evening |
Freezing Level 5500' |
| Friday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Saturday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' |
| Saturday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' |
* 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 Night | Sunday | Sunday Night | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 pm - 4 am | 4 am - 4 pm | 4 pm - 4 am | 4 am - 4 pm | |
| Hurricane Ridge | 0 | LT 0.10 | 0 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | 0 | LT 0.10 | 0 | LT 0.10 |
| Washington Pass | 0 | LT 0.10 | 0 | LT 0.10 |
| Leavenworth | 0 | 0 | 0 | LT 0.10 |
| Stevens Pass | 0 | LT 0.10 | 0 | LT 0.10 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | 0 | LT 0.10 | 0 | LT 0.10 |
| Mission Ridge | 0 | 0 | 0 | LT 0.10 |
| Crystal Mt | 0 | LT 0.10 | 0 | LT 0.10 |
| Paradise | 0 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| White Pass | 0 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Timberline | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Washington Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Leavenworth | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | 0 |
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Stevens Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Mission Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | 0 |
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Crystal Mt | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Paradise | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| White Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday | LT 0.25 |
| Sunday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday | LT 0.10 |
| Timberline | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday | LT 0.25 |
| Sunday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Sunday | 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: 2:19 PM PDT Thursday, March 28, 2019
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | VAR 0 - 10 | NE 0 - 10 | VAR 0 - 10 | VAR 0 - 10 | E 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | VAR 0 - 10 | NE 0 - 10 | VAR 0 - 10 | VAR 0 - 10 | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | N 0 - 10 | NW 0 - 10 | WNW 0 - 10 | NW 0 - 10 | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | NW 5 - 15 | NW 5 - 15 | WNW 5 - 15 | NW 5 - 15 | W 5 - 15 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | N 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | NW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | NE 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | NE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | NW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | NW 5 - 15 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | WNW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | NW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | NW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | E 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | W 5 - 15 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | N 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | NW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | NE 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | NE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | NW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | NW 5 - 15 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | WNW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | WNW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | NW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | NW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | E 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | W 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | NE 0 - 10 | NE 0 - 10 | NE 0 - 10 | NE 0 - 0 | SE 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | NE 0 - 10 | NE 0 - 10 | NE 0 - 10 | NE 0 - 10 | SE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | NE 0 - 10 | NE 0 - 10 | NE 0 - 10 | NE 0 - 10 | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | NE 0 - 10 | NE 0 - 10 | NE 0 - 10 | N 0 - 10 | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | NE 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | NE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | NE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | NE 0 - 10 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | NE 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | NE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | NE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | NE 0 - 10 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | NE 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | NE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | NE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | NE 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | NE 0 - 0 |
| Thursday Night | NE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | NE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | N 0 - 10 |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Evening | SE 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | SE 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | VAR 0 - 10 |
| Friday Afternoon | VAR 0 - 10 |
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: 2:19 PM PDT Thursday, March 28, 2019
Extended Weather Synopsis for Sunday night through Sunday
The flow aloft will become more westerly on Sunday allowing a weak upper level shortwave into the region and increasing chance of showers in the afternoon. Upper level ridging will briefly build over the area Sunday night and Monday as a developing low pressure system digs off the northern California coast. Warm frontal moisture may reach Oregon and southern Washington by Monday afternoon. Forecast models continue to diverge after Monday, with the European showing an unsettled but more typical spring-time pattern while the GFS indicates a return to strong westerly flow and the potential for stronger Pacific frontal systems by the end of next week. Perhaps we are not done with winter yet...
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday Night | Freezing Level | 5500' - 6500' | 5500' - 6500' | 6000' - 7000' | |
| Sunday | Freezing Level | 5000' - 6000' | 5000' - 6000' | 5000' - 6000' | |
| Sunday Night | Freezing Level | 5000' - 6000' | 5000' - 6000' | 5000' - 6000' | |
| Monday | Snow Level | 5500' - 6500' | 5500' - 6500' | 5500' - 6500' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Night |
Freezing Level 5500' - 6500' |
| Sunday |
Freezing Level 5000' - 6000' |
| Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' - 6000' |
| Monday |
Snow Level 5500' - 6500' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Night |
Freezing Level 5500' - 6500' |
| Sunday |
Freezing Level 5000' - 6000' |
| Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' - 6000' |
| Monday |
Snow Level 5500' - 6500' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Night |
Freezing Level 6000' - 7000' |
| Sunday |
Freezing Level 5000' - 6000' |
| Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 5000' - 6000' |
| Monday |
Snow Level 5500' - 6500' |
* 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 28, 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.