Mountain Weather Forecast

Weather Synopsis

Light to moderate showers will continue through early this evening, heaviest near the West slopes of the Cascades and especially down at Mt. Hood and Olympics and much lighter further east of the Cascade crest. We'll see a switch in the pattern from post-frontal westerlies to light offshore or easterly flow overnight. A modified arctic front will affect the east slopes of the Cascades and the north slopes of the Olympics with an inch or two of low-density snow. The Wentachees including Mission Ridge may be able to squeeze out 2-4 inches overnight. Breezy conditions will develop overnight for the northwest Cascades closest to the Fraser River Valley where outflow (NE) winds will increase overnight into the moderate range. The caveat to this changing pattern will be Mt Hood area where showers in westerly flow will continue through early Wednesday morning. 

Unseasonably cold temperatures for late February will be a constant beginning tonight through the end of the work week. On Wednesday, a broad and very cold upper low will be set up over the western US with a weak surface circulation off of the mouth of the Columbia River. This will once again cause light snow showers over the Olympic Peninsula and near west of Mt Rainier and Mt. Hood. More scattered light snow showers will be found elsewhere. Light upslope snows along the east side of the Cascades won't add much new snow but will keep skies cloudy. This pattern will continue Wednesday night but we can expect E-SE winds to increase into the moderate range for many locations. 

On Thursday, the low will dig off the OR/CA coast and bring most showers to an end.  However, skies are likely to remain partly to mostly cloudy with very light snow showers most likely along the east slopes of the Cascades. Temperatures will be very cold for our neck of the woods, with single digits and teens common through this period while moderate to locally strong E-SE winds continue.