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 night through Thursday
A few spotty showers can be found on radar this afternoon along the west slope of the Cascades with temperatures generally above freezing at most mountain weather stations. The storm track is taking aim into central British Columbia over the next 2 days. In this pattern, we'll stay on the warm side of the jet stream. While a series of systems impact our northern neighbors, generally light precipitation with mild snow levels may brush the northwest Cascades and Olympics late tonight through Monday afternoon. Cloud cover will decrease as you head south, with partly sunny and filtered sunshine likely for the south Washington Cascades and Mt Hood on Monday. Easterly offshore will increase on Monday. While this should lead to temperature inversions at Pass level on Monday, there looks to be enough warm air riding in aloft that most sites should push above freezing outside of the Washington Pass area.
The frontal boundary will begin to sag south Monday evening. This should shift heavier precipitation into the Mt Baker - Mt Loop Hwy area with a bit of slopover precipitation into the northeast Cascades. As the frontal boundary pushes into the south Washington Cascades and Mt Hood during the day on Tuesday, the details become murky whether or not the front will peter out or pack an equal punch for our southern mountains. Look for strong W-SW alpine winds out ahead of this front. A cooling trend will slowly start to take hold from north to south on Tuesday.
Weather Forecast
Hurricane Ridge
| Sunday Night | Mostly cloudy. |
| Monday | Cloudy with periods of light rain. |
Mt. Baker
| Sunday Night | Cloudy. |
| Monday | Cloudy with periods of light rain and snow. Windy. |
Washington Pass and Leavenworth
| Sunday Night | Mostly cloudy. |
| Monday | Cloudy. |
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass
| Sunday Night | Mostly cloudy. Light to moderate east winds at Pass level. |
| Monday | Mostly cloudy. Moderate east winds at Pass level. |
Mt. Rainier, Crystal and White Pass
| Sunday Night | Partly to mostly cloudy. |
| Monday | Partly sunny with filtered sunshine. |
Mt. Hood
| Sunday Night | Partly to mostly cloudy. |
| Monday | Mostly sunny with periods of high clouds. |
Issued: 2:00 PM PST Sunday, December 6, 2020
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | Freezing Level * | 5500' | 5000' | 4000' | 4000' | 4000' | 5000' | 5000' | 6000' |
| Sunday Night | Freezing Level * | 8000' | 7000' | 4500' | 7000' | 9000' | 9000' | 9000' | 9000' |
| Monday Morning | Freezing Level * | 7500' | 6000' | 3500' | 5000' | 7500' | 8000' | 9000' | 10000' |
| Monday Afternoon | Freezing Level * | 7500' | 6000' | 4000' | 4500' | 7500' | 8000' | 9500' | 11000' |
| Monday Evening | Snow Level * | 7500' | 6000' | 4000' | 6500' | 8000' | 9000' | 9500' | 11000' |
| Monday Night | Snow Level | 7500' | 6500' | 4500' | 6500' | 8000' | 9000' | 8000' | 11000' |
| Tuesday Morning | Snow Level | 6000' | 5000' | 6000' | 7000' | 7000' | 8000' | 8000' | 11000' |
| Tuesday Afternoon | Snow Level | 5000' | 4500' | 4500' | 5000' | 4500' | 4500' | 5000' | 7500' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening |
Freezing Level 5500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Morning |
Freezing Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Evening |
Snow Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 7500' |
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level 6000' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening |
Freezing Level 5000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 7000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Morning |
Freezing Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Evening |
Snow Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 6500' |
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening |
Freezing Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Morning |
Freezing Level 3500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Evening |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level 6000' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening |
Freezing Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 7000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Morning |
Freezing Level 5000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Evening |
Snow Level 6500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 6500' |
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level 7000' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening |
Freezing Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 9000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Morning |
Freezing Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 7500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Evening |
Snow Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 8000' |
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level 7000' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening |
Freezing Level 5000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 9000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Morning |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 8000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Evening |
Snow Level 9000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 9000' |
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level 8000' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening |
Freezing Level 5000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 9000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Morning |
Freezing Level 9000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 9500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Evening |
Snow Level 9500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 8000' |
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level 8000' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening |
Freezing Level 6000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 9000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Morning |
Freezing Level 10000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Afternoon |
Freezing Level 11000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Evening |
Snow Level 11000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Night |
Snow Level 11000' |
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level 11000' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 7500' |
* 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
| Sunday Night | Thursday | Thursday Night | Thursday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 pm - 4 am | 4 am - 4 pm | 4 pm - 4 am | 4 am - 4 pm | |
| Hurricane Ridge | 0 | LT 0.25 | 0.50 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 | 1.00 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Washington Pass | 0 | 0 | 0.25 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Leavenworth | 0 | 0 | 0 | LT 0.25 |
| Stevens Pass | 0 | 0 | 0.25 | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | 0 | 0 | LT 0.25 | 0.75 |
| Mission Ridge | 0 | 0 | 0 | LT 0.10 |
| Crystal Mt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.25 |
| Paradise | 0 | 0 | LT 0.10 | 0.50 |
| White Pass | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | 0 | 0 | 0 | LT 0.25 |
| Timberline | 0 | 0 | 0 | LT 0.25 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Thursday Night | 0.50 |
| Thursday | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Thursday Night | 1.00 |
| Thursday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Washington Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0.25 |
| Thursday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Leavenworth | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Stevens Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0.25 |
| Thursday | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Thursday | 0.75 |
| Mission Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | LT 0.10 |
| Crystal Mt | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0.25 |
| Paradise | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Thursday | 0.50 |
| White Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Timberline | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | 0 |
| Thursday Night | 0 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
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: 2:00 PM PST Sunday, December 6, 2020
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | SW 5 - 15 | S 15 - 25 | W 0 - 10 | SW 0 - 10 | SE 0 - 10 |
| Sunday Night | SW 15 - 25 | S 15 - 25 | SE 10 - 20 | SW 10 - 20 | S 5 - 15 |
| Monday Morning | SW 20 - 30 | S 20 - 30 | SW 10 - 20 | SW 10 - 20 | S 5 - 15 |
| Monday Afternoon | SSW 20 - 30 | S 25 - 35 | SW 15 - 25 | SW 15 - 25 | SSW 5 - 15 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | SW 5 - 15 |
| Sunday Night | SW 15 - 25 |
| Monday Morning | SW 20 - 30 |
| Monday Afternoon | SSW 20 - 30 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | S 15 - 25 |
| Sunday Night | S 15 - 25 |
| Monday Morning | S 20 - 30 |
| Monday Afternoon | S 25 - 35 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | W 0 - 10 |
| Sunday Night | SE 10 - 20 |
| Monday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Monday Afternoon | SW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | SW 0 - 10 |
| Sunday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Monday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Monday Afternoon | SW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | SE 0 - 10 |
| Sunday Night | S 5 - 15 |
| Monday Morning | S 5 - 15 |
| Monday Afternoon | SSW 5 - 15 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | SW 5 - 15 |
| Sunday Night | SW 15 - 25 |
| Monday Morning | SW 20 - 30 |
| Monday Afternoon | SSW 20 - 30 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | S 15 - 25 |
| Sunday Night | S 15 - 25 |
| Monday Morning | S 20 - 30 |
| Monday Afternoon | S 25 - 35 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | W 0 - 10 |
| Sunday Night | SE 10 - 20 |
| Monday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Monday Afternoon | SW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | SW 0 - 10 |
| Sunday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Monday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Monday Afternoon | SW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | SE 0 - 10 |
| Sunday Night | S 5 - 15 |
| Monday Morning | S 5 - 15 |
| Monday Afternoon | SSW 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | WSW 15 - 25 | WSW 15 - 25 | W 10 - 20 | W 5 - 15 | NW 0 - 10 |
| Sunday Night | WSW 30 - 40 | WSW 25 - 35 | W 20 - 30 | W 15 - 25 | W 10 - 20 |
| Monday Morning | SW 35 - 45 | SW 30 - 40 | SW 30 - 40 | WSW 20 - 30 | W 5 - 15 |
| Monday Afternoon | SW 35 - 45 | SW 35 - 45 | SW 35 - 45 | SW 30 - 40 | SW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Sunday Night | WSW 30 - 40 |
| Monday Morning | SW 35 - 45 |
| Monday Afternoon | SW 35 - 45 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Sunday Night | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Monday Morning | SW 30 - 40 |
| Monday Afternoon | SW 35 - 45 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | W 10 - 20 |
| Sunday Night | W 20 - 30 |
| Monday Morning | SW 30 - 40 |
| Monday Afternoon | SW 35 - 45 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | W 5 - 15 |
| Sunday Night | W 15 - 25 |
| Monday Morning | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Monday Afternoon | SW 30 - 40 |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Sunday Evening | NW 0 - 10 |
| Sunday Night | W 10 - 20 |
| Monday Morning | W 5 - 15 |
| Monday Afternoon | SW 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.
Issued: 2:00 PM PST Sunday, December 6, 2020
Extended Weather Synopsis for Thursday night through Thursday
While we can say with confidence that the extended forecast looks active with a weather system arriving every day or two and that snow levels will lower to values more normally associated with December by midweek, it's really difficult to say how strong any one system will be and who will see the most snow. Prepare for unsettled weather through the weekend and stay tuned.
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | Snow Level | 3000' - 4000' | 3500' - 4500' | 5500' - 6500' | |
| Wednesday | Snow Level | 2500' - 3500' | 3000' - 4000' | 3500' - 4500' | |
| Wednesday Night | Snow Level | 2000' - 3000' | 2000' - 3000' | 2500' - 3500' | |
| Thursday | Snow Level | 1500' - 2500' | 1500' - 2500' | 2000' - 3000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level 3000' - 4000' |
| Wednesday |
Snow Level 2500' - 3500' |
| Wednesday Night |
Snow Level 2000' - 3000' |
| Thursday |
Snow Level 1500' - 2500' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level 3500' - 4500' |
| Wednesday |
Snow Level 3000' - 4000' |
| Wednesday Night |
Snow Level 2000' - 3000' |
| Thursday |
Snow Level 1500' - 2500' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level 5500' - 6500' |
| Wednesday |
Snow Level 3500' - 4500' |
| Wednesday Night |
Snow Level 2500' - 3500' |
| Thursday |
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 Dec 6, 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.