A weak trough and associated front move into the Pacific Northwest on Thursday. A deck of low clouds moved into western Washington ahead of the front on Thursday morning with partial sky cover along the east slopes of the Cascades. A few isolated showers moved onshore and are trying to start up over Watcom County, but most light snow shower activity will hold off until the late morning and afternoon hours. The volcanoes (Rainier and Paradise) may be able to squeeze out a few inches of snow with this system, but most areas are looking for a dusting to an inch. Snow showers taper across the west slopes of the Cascades Monday evening with partly cloudy conditions as a very modest ridge moves into the nearshore waters overnight. Expect partial cloud cover and a touch warmer temperatures with the ridge over the region on Friday. Freezing levels rise to around 4000-4500 ft in many areas by the afternoon.
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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Thursday
Overcast in the morning with light snow showers in the afternoon.
Thursday
Night
A few snow showers early, then mostly cloudy skies becoming partly cloudy overnight.
Thursday
Overcast in the morning with light snow showers in the afternoon.
Thursday
Night
Light snow showers in the evening with partly cloudy skies developing overnight.
Thursday
Overcast in the morning with very light snow showers in the afternoon.
Thursday
Night
Light snow showers in the evening, then becoming mostly cloudy overnight.
Thursday
Very light snow much of the day for Paradise. Overcast in the morning with very light snow showers in the afternoon in other areas.
Thursday
Night
Light snow showers in the evening, then becoming partly to mostly cloudy overnight.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy with clouds increasing. Light ridgeline and W wind at the Pass.
Thursday
Night
Mostly cloudy. Light ridgeline and W wind at the Pass.
Thursday
Cloudy with a chance of snow showers late in the day. Decreasing light to occasionally moderate ridgeline and W wind at the Pass.
Thursday
Night
Light snow showers in the evening, becoming mostly cloudy overnight. Light ridgeline and W wind at the Pass.
Thursday
Partly cloudy in the morning with clouds increasing during the afternoon.
Thursday
Night
Isolated snow flurries in the evening with partly cloudy skies.
Thursday
Partly cloudy in the morning with clouds increasing during the afternoon.
Thursday
Night
Isolated snow flurries in the evening with partly cloudy skies.
Thursday
Partly cloudy in the morning with clouds increasing during the afternoon.
Thursday
Night
Isolated snow flurries in the evening with partly cloudy skies.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy.
Thursday
Night
A chance of very light snow showers in the evening with mostly cloudy skies through the overnight.
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).