Mountain Weather Forecast

Weather Synopsis

It's been a pretty quiet day in the mountains with relatively mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine away from the foggy Passes. Strong and gusty southeasterly winds have once again returned to areas near the crest from Snoqualmie Pass to Mt Hood. This evening wind speeds should generally decrease as we settle in for our last peaceful night before a major winter storm. Look for mostly clear skies with the possibility of some low clouds and valley fog near the Cascade gaps and eastside valleys. Further south a few stray showers could bring brief periods of rain and snow to Mt Hood, Mt St Helens, and Mt Adams. 

On Wednesday, many locations should start the day with some blue sky. However, an approaching winter storm will quickly put an end to the nice weather. Moderate to strong SE-S winds out ahead of the weather system will be the first signs of the changes to come. By mid-day or early afternoon approaching clouds will start to thicken and lower. While most of the precipitation should hold off until the evening, a few showers could wander into the Olympics, south Cascades, and Mt Hood areas. 

The storm finally arrives Wednesday night and spreads rain, snow, and strong and gusty winds from SW to NE across our region. By the time the sun comes up Thursday, the storm will be in full force. The southerly flow with this event should favor the Olympics, Mt Baker, Crystal Mt, and Paradise. Expect periods of heavy precipitation in these locations. Warming temperatures will cause snow levels to steadily march up the mountainsides and bring rain to near or above 6000-7000 ft for most locations by the afternoon. While easterly flow should help delay the transition from snow to rain at the Passe, there doesn't appear to be a sufficient cold air pool east of crest to hold off the warmer airmass.