A broad upper low moved into the region on Thursday night. Many areas picked up 1-4" of snow overnight. The low continues to spin light snow showers into our mountains as it transits SE across the area on Friday, bringing generally light snow shower activity, steady but cool temperatures, and light winds to Washington State. Mt. Hood should a bit more wind and snow, but that snow has been slower to materialize than expected. Models continue to indicate a band of moderate snow impacting the Mt. Hood area in the late afternoon through evening hours.
The low moves east of the area by late evening on Friday, turning flow N and NE, cutting off the moisture and the snow shower activity. Expect partly to mostly clear skies arriving after midnight along with cold temperatures and light winds.
On Saturday, a shortwave ridge transits the region. The region should see mostly clear skies with some low clouds or fog in the lowlands in the morning and cool temperatures. Clouds will increase from west to east as a system slated to arrive late Saturday night starts spreading clouds into the region. E flow will also increase through the passes and across the Cascade Crest and southerly winds will pick up aloft. Winds could reach the moderate range late in the day.
Weather Forecast
Olympics
West North
West Central
West South
Stevens Pass
Snoqualmie Pass
East North
East Central
East South
Mt. Hood
Use dropdown to select your zone
Friday
Mostly cloudy with a chance of light snow showers. Cool. Light winds.
Friday
Night
Upslope snow flurries in the evening, then partial clearing. Cold. Light winds.
Friday
Decreasing light snow showers. Cool. Light winds.
Friday
Night
Partly cloudy in the evening, then mostly clear after midnight. Cold. Light winds.
Friday
Decreasing light snow showers. Cool. Light winds.
Friday
Night
Partly cloudy in the evening, then mostly clear after midnight. Cold. Light winds.
Friday
Light snow showers. Cool. Light winds.
Friday
Night
Mostly cloudy in the evening with a few snow showers in the evening, then partially clearing after midnight. Cold. Light winds.
Friday
Decreasing light snow showers. Cool. Light winds. Light W wind through the pass.
Friday
Night
Partly cloudy in the evening, then mostly clear after midnight. Cold. Light and variable pass-level and ridgeline winds becoming light easterly.
Friday
Light snow showers. Cool. Light ridgeline winds with moderate gusts. Light W wind through the pass.
Friday
Night
Partly cloudy in the evening, then mostly clear after midnight. Cold. Light and variable pass-level and ridgeline winds becoming light easterly.
Friday
Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers. Cool. Light winds.
Friday
Night
Mostly cloudy in the evening with a few snow showers in the evening, then becoming mostly clear after midnight. Cold. Light winds.
Friday
Light snow showers. Cool. Light winds.
Friday
Night
Mostly cloudy in the evening with a few upslope snow showers in the evening, then mostly clearing after midnight. Cold. Light winds.
Friday
Increasing light snow showers. Cool. Light winds.
Friday
Night
Mostly cloudy in the evening with a few snow showers in the evening, then partially clearing after midnight. Cold. Light winds.
Friday
Moderate snow showers becoming moderate snow in the late afternoon. Cool. Decreasing light to moderate ridgeline winds.
Friday
Night
Moderate snow in the early evening tapering and ending by midnight with partial clearing thereafter. Cool. Light ridgeline winds.
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.
The 5000’ temperature forecast does not imply a trend over the 12 hr period and only represents the max and min temperatures within a 12 hr period in the zone. The 6-hr snow level forecast, the forecast discussion, and weather forecast sections may add detail regarding temperature trends.
The snow level forecast represents the general snow level over a 6 hr time period. Freezing levels are forecast when precipitation is not expected.
*Easterly or offshore flow is highlighted with an asterisk when we expect relatively cool east winds in the major Cascade Passes. Easterly flow will often lead to temperature inversions and is a key variable for forecasting precipitation type in the Cascade Passes. Strong easterly flow events can affect terrain on a more regional scale.
Ridgeline winds are the average wind speed and direction over a 6 hr time period.
The wind forecast represents an elevation range instead of a single elevation slice. The elevation range overlaps with the near and above treeline elevation bands in the avalanche forecast and differs per zone.
Wind direction indicates the direction the wind originates or comes from on the 16-point compass rose.
Water Equivalent (WE) is the liquid water equivalent of all precipitation types; rain, snow, ice pellets, etc., forecast to the hundredth of an inch at specific locations. To use WE as a proxy for snowfall amounts, start with a snow to water ratio of 10:1 (10 inches of snow = 1 inch WE). Temperatures at or near freezing will generally have a lower ratio (heavy wet snow) and very cold temperatures can have a much higher ratio (dry fluffy snow).