We're in for a dry and pleasant day with high pressure offshore. Early this morning, a storm system well to our north is draping high clouds over our region, especially closer to the Canadian border. Areas of low clouds can also be found near the Cascade crest and along the west slopes of the Cascades. Even with this mix of high and low clouds this morning, we should be on our way to a mostly sunny mid-day and afternoon. Freezing levels and temperatures will be a notch warmer than yesterday. Winds should generally be light except for a moderate N-NW breeze along the higher peaks and alpine.
A fast moving frontal system will approach the coast Friday night with increasing high clouds moving inland. While freezing levels are a bit mild before precipitation starts Saturday, snow levels will quickly come down to most trailhead or Pass elevations at the onset of the storm. The front will quickly move through the Cascades late morning through mid-day with a burst of heavier precipitation. South winds will begin to crank Saturday morning for the Olympics and the Mt Baker area, and then more widespread strong W-NW will develop Saturday afternoon with and behind the frontal passage.
Windy conditions and snow will continue to accumulate Saturday night with post-frontal showers.
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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Friday
Partly sunny with periods of high clouds this morning then mostly sunny. Areas of low clouds this morning.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, becoming cloudy after midnight with increasing high clouds.
Friday
Partly sunny with periods of high clouds this morning then mostly sunny. Areas of low clouds this morning.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, becoming mostly cloudy after midnight with increasing high clouds.
Friday
Partly sunny with periods of high clouds this morning then mostly sunny. Areas of low clouds this morning.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, becoming mostly cloudy after midnight with increasing high clouds.
Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds. Areas of low clouds this morning.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, becoming mostly cloudy after midnight with increasing high clouds.
Friday
Partly sunny with periods of high clouds this morning then mostly sunny. Areas of low clouds this morning. Light west winds at Pass level.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, becoming mostly cloudy after midnight with increasing high clouds.
Friday
Partly sunny with periods of high clouds this morning then mostly sunny. Areas of low clouds this morning. Light west winds at Pass level.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, becoming mostly cloudy after midnight with increasing high clouds.
Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, becoming mostly cloudy after midnight with increasing high clouds.
Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, becoming mostly cloudy after midnight with increasing high clouds.
Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, becoming mostly cloudy late tonight with increasing high clouds.
Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear in the evening, becoming mostly cloudy late tonight with increasing high clouds.
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).