Another mild and drippy day across most of the region. A storm system passing well to our NW will drag a few showers across the area, particularly in the morning. While most locations will see only minor amounts of rain/snow, places near Mt Baker could receive more significant accumulations. Moderate southerly winds will gradually decrease as the system exits.
As soon as this first disturbance leaves, another low pressure takes up residence in the Pacific overnight. Once again, most of the precipitation stays offshore. While you could see a few stray showers Thursday night and Friday, winds will be the bigger story. Look for moderate easterly winds to develop in the mountain passes and along the spine of the Cascades. Winds will be a notch stronger in the valleys west of the Cascade Crest.
With this easterly flow and some lingering low-level moisture in the Columbia Basin, there could be a few light snow showers along the east slopes of the Cascades. Right now, these don't look particularly impressive. With warmer air pushing into the area, it could mean rain rather than snow. Winds and precipitation should start to decrease late in the day Friday and into the overnight hours.
Weather Forecast
Olympics
West North
West Central
West South
Stevens Pass
Snoqualmie Pass
East North
East Central
East South
Mt. Hood
Use dropdown to select your zone
Thursday
Cloudy with isolated showers. Moderate SW winds turning S and decreasing.
Thursday
Night
Mostly cloudy. A few sprinkles possible. Light to moderate S winds.
Thursday
Cloudy with showers mainly in the morning. Moderate to strong S winds decreasing slightly in the afternoon.
Thursday
Night
Partly to mostly cloudy with a few sprinkles possible. Moderate S winds decreasing slightly.
Thursday
Cloudy with showers mainly in the morning. Moderate SSW winds turning S and decreasing.
Thursday
Night
Partly to mostly cloudy with a few sprinkles possible. Light to moderate SSE winds.
Thursday
Cloudy with showers heaviest near Crystal. Light to moderate SSE winds.
Thursday
Night
Mostly cloudy with a few stray showers. Light to moderate SSE winds.
Thursday
Cloudy with an isolated shower possible. Light E flow at Pass level.
Thursday
Night
Mostly cloudy with a few sprinkles possible. E flow increasing to light to moderate. Light to moderate ESE ridgeline winds.
Thursday
Cloudy with a few isolated showers. Light E flow at Pass level. SSE ridgeline winds becoming light to moderate.
Thursday
Night
Partly to mostly cloudy with a few sprinkles possible. E flow increasing and becoming moderate. Moderate ESE ridgeline winds.
Thursday
Cloudy with a few isolated showers. Light to moderate SW winds turning S.
Thursday
Night
Partly to mostly cloudy. A few light upslope showers possible. Moderate S winds.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy to cloudy with a few showers possible. Light to moderate SW winds turning S.
Thursday
Night
Partly to mostly cloudy. A few upslope showers possible. Moderate S winds.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy to cloudy with a few showers possible. Southwesterly winds becoming moderate.
Thursday
Night
Partly to mostly cloudy with a few upslope showers possible. Moderate S winds.
Thursday
Partly to mostly cloudy with a few isolated showers possible. Moderate SW winds turning S and decreasing slightly.
Thursday
Night
Partly to mostly cloudy with a few isolated showers possible. Moderate S 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).