A weak upper level feature will lift across the area today producing some light and scattered showers mainly near and west of the Cascade crest and to Mt Hood through mid-day. Snow levels will generally be in the 2500-3500' range today except slightly cooler along the east slopes of the Cascades near and north of Hwy 2.
Another weak frontal system will weaken and dissipate as it moves inland Tuesday night, with another round of light showers, little new snow accumulation is expected. The weather will become more interesting on Wednesday. A very deep low pressure system well off the CA/OR coast will meander closer to the coast on Wednesday. This slow moving low pressure system will cause offshore flow/E-SE winds to strengthen during the day. Strong E-SE winds are not only expected in the mountain gaps/major Cascade Passes but along ridgelines. Expect strong E-SE winds to continue Wednesday night and into Thursday. Along with the offshore gradients/E-SE winds, a warm front will lift north Wednesday afternoon, likely clipping the Mt Hood area with some light snow. Upslope light snow will likely begin along the east slopes of the Cascades on Wednesday in advance of the warm frontal feature. There will be quite a range of snow/freezing levels on Wednesday, with relatively milder air found well west of the Cascade crest and much colder air to the east.
Weather Forecast
Olympics
West North
West Central
West South
Stevens Pass
Snoqualmie Pass
East North
East Central
East South
Mt. Hood
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Tuesday
Cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers through mid-day, becoming partly to mostly cloudy in the afternoon.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy with a chance of light rain and snow showers.
Tuesday
Cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers through mid-day, becoming partly to mostly cloudy in the afternoon. Periods of moderate wind.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy with a chance of light rain and snow showers.
Tuesday
Cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers through mid-day, becoming partly to mostly cloudy in the afternoon. Periods of moderate wind.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy with a chance of light rain and snow showers.
Tuesday
Cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers through mid-day, becoming partly to mostly cloudy in the afternoon.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy with a chance of light rain and snow showers.
Tuesday
Cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers through mid-day, becoming mostly cloudy in the afternoon. Light east winds at Pass level.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy with a chance of light rain and snow showers. Light east winds at Pass level becoming moderate overnight.
Tuesday
Cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers through mid-day, becoming mostly cloudy in the afternoon. Light east winds at Pass level.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy with a chance of light rain and snow showers. Light east winds at Pass level becoming moderate overnight.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy with isolated light rain and snow showers near the crest through mid-day. Partly sunny mid and upper slopes, cloudy lower slopes/valleys in the afternoon.
Tuesday
Night
Mostly cloudy.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy with isolated light rain and snow showers near the crest through mid-day. Partly sunny mid and upper slopes, cloudy lower slopes/valleys in the afternoon.
Tuesday
Night
Mostly cloudy.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy with isolated light rain and snow showers near the crest through mid-day. Partly sunny mid and upper slopes, cloudy lower slopes/valleys in the afternoon.
Tuesday
Night
Mostly cloudy.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy with isolated light rain and snow showers through mid-day, then partly to mostly cloudy. Moderate to strong winds this morning decreasing.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy with a chance of light rain and snow showers.
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).