NW flow around an offshore high continues to allow moisture to trickle into the region. A disturbance over the area Saturday morning shifts east of the area by the afternoon. Periods of light snow should expand southward as the day progresses. Weak convergence may also develop in the central Cascades. Additional snow totals of up to 3" can be expected for the west slopes of the Washington Cascades before snow taperers to flurries during the evening hours. Expect partly to mostly cloudy weather and a brief break overnight.
On Sunday, moisture rounding the offshore high starts to gradually increase across the mountains of northern Washington State. That moisture expands southward once again. Models continue to diverge regarding how rapidly the snowfall intensifies as we enter a prolonged period of increasingly intense snowfall heading into early next week.
Light to moderate W winds Saturday and Saturday night should accelerate along the east slopes of the mountains and in exposed locations near the Cascade Crest. These winds increase further on Sunday. These W winds and downslope warming will continue to create mild conditions at low elevations east of the Cascade Crest.
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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Saturday
Mostly cloudy.
Saturday
Night
Partly cloudy.
Saturday
Periods of light snow decreasing late in the day.
Saturday
Night
Cloudy with a chance of snow flurries.
Saturday
Periods of light snow and weak convergence. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Periods of light snow quickly tapering to flurries.
Saturday
Light snow at times starting mid-morning. Moderate winds near the Cascade Crest.
Saturday
Night
Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow flurries.
Saturday
Periods of light snow and weak convergence decreasing late in the day. Moderate ridgeline and light W wind at the Pass.
Saturday
Night
Mostly cloudy with light snow flurries. Light to moderate ridgeline and W wind at the Pass.
Saturday
Periods of light snow and weak convergence. Moderate ridgeline and light W wind at the Pass.
Saturday
Night
Weak convergence possible in the evening, then snow flurries. Moderate ridgeline and light W wind at the Pass.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy with light snow or flurries at times primarily in the morning. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Partly cloudy.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy with periods of light snow near the Cascade Crest. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Partly cloudy. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Partly cloudy.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy with periods of light snow in the afternoon. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Mostly cloudy with periods a slight chance of light snow early. Moderate 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).