Issued: 6:43 AM PDT Saturday, March 14, 2020
by Dallas Glass

Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k

Weather Synopsis for Saturday & Monday

It's cold out there in the mountains this morning, with most stations reporting temperatures in the teens or low twenties (a few even reading single digits). As you might imagine, this resulted in very low-density snow for locations that received precipitation Friday night. Our weather stations seem to be struggling to measure the fluffy snow, with manual measurements often slightly higher than our sensors indicate.

The low-pressure system responsible for the recent precipitation gets on the move this morning heading south down the coast for California. As it does so, it will take most of the snow with it. A few lingering showers will bump around the forecast region Saturday, with Mission Ridge, Blewett Pass, White Pass, and Mt Hood poised to pick-up a few more inches. Areas further north, like Mt Baker and Washington Pass, will see more sunshine as clouds begin to break and the air dries. Cold air continues to stream into the Northwest from Canada, which should keep the mountains cold all day. The other story for Saturday is the easterly winds. Offshore flow should drive moderate to strong east winds for many areas. They will be most pronounced at mid-elevations in the mountain passes and lower slopes along the western side of the Cascades. If you combine the cold air temperatures with the wind, it could feel downright frigid. Not something we generally think about in mid-March. 

The region continues to dry out Saturday night into Sunday, with clouds and a few isolated showers still lingering near the Oregon border. After another chilly start to the day Sunday, mostly sunny skies will allow the air temperatures to warm quickly mid to late morning. This will begin our transition back to a drier and more seasonal weather pattern. 

Weather Forecast

Hurricane Ridge
Mt. Baker
Washington Pass and Leavenworth
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass
Mt. Rainier, Crystal and White Pass
Mt. Hood

Snow/Freezing Level (ft)

Hurricane Ridge Mt. Baker Washington Pass Leavenworth Stevens Pass Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass Mt. Hood
Saturday Morning Snow Level * 0' 0' 0' 0' 0' 0' 0' 0'
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level * 0' 0' 0' 0' 0' 500' 500' 500'
Saturday Evening Freezing Level * 500' 0' 0' 0' 0' 500' 500' 500'
Saturday Night Freezing Level * 0' 0' 0' 0' 0' 0' 0' 0'
Sunday Morning Freezing Level * 500' 500' 1000' 1000' 1000' 1000' 1000' 500'
Hurricane Ridge Elevation
Saturday Morning Snow Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Evening Freezing Level
500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Night Freezing Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Morning Freezing Level
500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
2500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Mt. Baker Elevation
Saturday Morning Snow Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Evening Freezing Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Night Freezing Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Morning Freezing Level
500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
3500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Washington Pass Elevation
Saturday Morning Snow Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Evening Freezing Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Night Freezing Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Morning Freezing Level
1000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
3500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Leavenworth Elevation
Saturday Morning Snow Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Evening Freezing Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Night Freezing Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Morning Freezing Level
1000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
3000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Stevens Pass Elevation
Saturday Morning Snow Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Evening Freezing Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Night Freezing Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Morning Freezing Level
1000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
4000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Saturday Morning Snow Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Evening Freezing Level
500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Night Freezing Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Morning Freezing Level
1000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
4000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Mt. Rainier & Crystal Elevation
Saturday Morning Snow Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Evening Freezing Level
500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Night Freezing Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Morning Freezing Level
1000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
4000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Mt. Hood Elevation
Saturday Morning Snow Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Evening Freezing Level
500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Saturday Night Freezing Level
0'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Morning Freezing Level
500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
1500'
(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

Saturday Saturday Night Monday
4 am - 4 pm 4 pm - 4 am 4 am - 4 pm
Hurricane Ridge LT 0.10 0 0
Mt Baker Ski Area 0 0 0
Washington Pass 0 0 0
Leavenworth LT 0.10 0 0
Stevens Pass LT 0.10 0 0
Snoqualmie Pass LT 0.10 0 0
Mission Ridge LT 0.25 LT 0.10 0
Crystal Mt LT 0.10 0 0
Paradise LT 0.10 0 0
White Pass LT 0.25 LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Mt Hood Meadows LT 0.25 LT 0.10 LT 0.10
LT 0.25 LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Hurricane Ridge Precipitation Forecast
Saturday LT 0.10
Saturday Night 0
Monday 0
Mt Baker Ski Area Precipitation Forecast
Saturday 0
Saturday Night 0
Monday 0
Washington Pass Precipitation Forecast
Saturday 0
Saturday Night 0
Monday 0
Leavenworth Precipitation Forecast
Saturday LT 0.10
Saturday Night 0
Monday 0
Stevens Pass Precipitation Forecast
Saturday LT 0.10
Saturday Night 0
Monday 0
Snoqualmie Pass Precipitation Forecast
Saturday LT 0.10
Saturday Night 0
Monday 0
Mission Ridge Precipitation Forecast
Saturday LT 0.25
Saturday Night LT 0.10
Monday 0
Crystal Mt Precipitation Forecast
Saturday LT 0.10
Saturday Night 0
Monday 0
Paradise Precipitation Forecast
Saturday LT 0.10
Saturday Night 0
Monday 0
White Pass Precipitation Forecast
Saturday LT 0.25
Saturday Night LT 0.10
Monday LT 0.10
Mt Hood Meadows Precipitation Forecast
Saturday LT 0.25
Saturday Night LT 0.10
Monday LT 0.10
Timberline Precipitation Forecast
Saturday LT 0.25
Saturday Night LT 0.10
Monday LT 0.10

Free Winds at 5000' (mph)

Hurricane Ridge Mt. Baker Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Rainier Mt. Hood
Saturday Morning NE 10 - 20 NE 15 - 25 E 10 - 20 E 10 - 20 E 10 - 20
Saturday Afternoon ENE 5 - 15 ENE 10 - 20 E 10 - 20 E 10 - 20 E 10 - 20
Saturday Evening ENE 5 - 15 ENE 10 - 20 E 10 - 20 E 10 - 20 E 15 - 25
Saturday Night NE 10 - 20 ENE 10 - 20 E 10 - 20 E 10 - 20 E 20 - 30
Sunday Morning NE 10 - 20 ENE 10 - 20 E 10 - 20 E 10 - 20 E 15 - 25
Hurricane Ridge Elevation
Saturday Morning NE 10 - 20
Saturday Afternoon ENE 5 - 15
Saturday Evening ENE 5 - 15
Saturday Night NE 10 - 20
Sunday Morning NE 10 - 20
Sunday Afternoon E 10 - 20
Mt. Baker Elevation
Saturday Morning NE 15 - 25
Saturday Afternoon ENE 10 - 20
Saturday Evening ENE 10 - 20
Saturday Night ENE 10 - 20
Sunday Morning ENE 10 - 20
Sunday Afternoon ENE 5 - 15
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Saturday Morning E 10 - 20
Saturday Afternoon E 10 - 20
Saturday Evening E 10 - 20
Saturday Night E 10 - 20
Sunday Morning E 10 - 20
Sunday Afternoon SE 5 - 15
Mt. Rainier Elevation
Saturday Morning E 10 - 20
Saturday Afternoon E 10 - 20
Saturday Evening E 10 - 20
Saturday Night E 10 - 20
Sunday Morning E 10 - 20
Sunday Afternoon E 10 - 20
Mt. Hood Elevation
Saturday Morning E 10 - 20
Saturday Afternoon E 10 - 20
Saturday Evening E 15 - 25
Saturday Night E 20 - 30
Sunday Morning E 15 - 25
Sunday Afternoon E 15 - 25
Hurricane Ridge Direction - Speed
Saturday Morning NE 10 - 20
Saturday Afternoon ENE 5 - 15
Saturday Evening ENE 5 - 15
Saturday Night NE 10 - 20
Sunday Morning NE 10 - 20
Sunday Afternoon E 10 - 20
Mt. Baker Direction - Speed
Saturday Morning NE 15 - 25
Saturday Afternoon ENE 10 - 20
Saturday Evening ENE 10 - 20
Saturday Night ENE 10 - 20
Sunday Morning ENE 10 - 20
Sunday Afternoon ENE 5 - 15
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Direction - Speed
Saturday Morning E 10 - 20
Saturday Afternoon E 10 - 20
Saturday Evening E 10 - 20
Saturday Night E 10 - 20
Sunday Morning E 10 - 20
Sunday Afternoon SE 5 - 15
Mt. Rainier Direction - Speed
Saturday Morning E 10 - 20
Saturday Afternoon E 10 - 20
Saturday Evening E 10 - 20
Saturday Night E 10 - 20
Sunday Morning E 10 - 20
Sunday Afternoon E 10 - 20
Mt. Hood Direction - Speed
Saturday Morning E 10 - 20
Saturday Afternoon E 10 - 20
Saturday Evening E 15 - 25
Saturday Night E 20 - 30
Sunday Morning E 15 - 25
Sunday Afternoon E 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
Saturday Morning E 5 - 15 E 10 - 20 SE 15 - 25 S 15 - 25 SSW 20 - 30
Saturday Afternoon SE 5 - 15 SE 5 - 15 SSE 10 - 20 SSW 10 - 20 SSW 15 - 25
Saturday Evening SE 5 - 15 SE 5 - 15 SE 10 - 20 SE 10 - 20 S 10 - 20
Saturday Night SE 10 - 20 SE 15 - 25 SE 15 - 25 SE 20 - 30 SE 20 - 30
Sunday Morning ESE 20 - 30 ESE 20 - 30 ESE 25 - 35 ESE 30 - 40 SE 25 - 35
Mt. Baker Direction - Speed
Saturday Morning E 5 - 15
Saturday Afternoon SE 5 - 15
Saturday Evening SE 5 - 15
Saturday Night SE 10 - 20
Sunday Morning ESE 20 - 30
Sunday Afternoon ESE 20 - 30
Washington Pass Direction - Speed
Saturday Morning E 10 - 20
Saturday Afternoon SE 5 - 15
Saturday Evening SE 5 - 15
Saturday Night SE 15 - 25
Sunday Morning ESE 20 - 30
Sunday Afternoon ESE 15 - 25
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Direction - Speed
Saturday Morning SE 15 - 25
Saturday Afternoon SSE 10 - 20
Saturday Evening SE 10 - 20
Saturday Night SE 15 - 25
Sunday Morning ESE 25 - 35
Sunday Afternoon ESE 30 - 40
Mt. Rainier Direction - Speed
Saturday Morning S 15 - 25
Saturday Afternoon SSW 10 - 20
Saturday Evening SE 10 - 20
Saturday Night SE 20 - 30
Sunday Morning ESE 30 - 40
Sunday Afternoon ESE 30 - 40
Mt. Hood Direction - Speed
Saturday Morning SSW 20 - 30
Saturday Afternoon SSW 15 - 25
Saturday Evening S 10 - 20
Saturday Night SE 20 - 30
Sunday Morning SE 25 - 35
Sunday Afternoon SE 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.

Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k

Previous forecast from Mar 13, 2020

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.