Mountain Weather Forecast

Weather Synopsis

A weak frontal system is dissipating as it slides inland and east of the Olympic Peninsula this afternoon. As we move into the late afternoon and evening hours, we'll be left with scattered showers mainly in the south/central Cascades and Mt. Hood area, tracking with the area of greatest instability associated with an upper level low along the Californian coast.  

Showers will end later in the evening and we'll see partial clearing, with areas of lingering low marine clouds near and west of the Cascade crest and mainly clear conditions elsewhere. Cloud forecast aside, freezing levels will hardly budge overnight with yet another mild night on tap.  

A transitory upper level ridge will move inland on Tuesday.  We should be in for a warm and generally sunny day across the region. While there will be a few low clouds near and west of the Cascade crest, especially between the Hwy 530 and I-90 corridor in the morning, forecast models have lessened the impact of low clouds west of the Cascade crest and freezing levels have been raised with this sunnier, milder forecast in mind. High clouds in advance of an approaching frontal system will bring overcast skies over the Olympics and perhaps northwest Cascades by mid/late Tuesday afternoon. Other areas will see partly sunny skies by late in the day as high clouds increase.  

A quick moving front will bring light rain and snow and increasing winds to the Olympics and northwest Cascades Tuesday night. On Wednesday, the front will sweep through in the morning hours, with post-frontal westerly winds, quickly lowering snow levels and scattered light showers for the remainder of the day. The central Cascades may see a few inches of snow accumulate above 4000' depending on where a Puget Sound Convergence Zone sets up. The east slopes of the Cascades and the Mt Hood area will see little new snow from this system.