A weakening upper trough spreads light rain and snow into southern parts of the forecast region on Saturday. The trough axis shifts northward toward the southern Washington Cascades and Mt Hood areas, with the weakening frontal system bringing light rain and snow to the southern Cascades and Mt Hood areas. Snow levels should be in the 4000-5500 ft range with mild temperatures and higher freezing levels over northwest Washington. Snow and freezing levels are significantly lower east of the Cascade Crest with decreasing moderate E winds through the lower Cascade gaps. Precipitation increases into the light to moderate range Saturday night as the trough shifts northward and favors the volcanoes. SE winds peak Saturday evening ahead of the trough with a chance of freezing rain near and just west of the mountain gaps and Mt Hood. The trough lingers on Sunday with SW winds continuing to bring in light to moderate rain and snow. Snow levels rise to 4500-6000 ft, but remain much lower east of the Cascade Crest. The potential for a wintry mix lingers for the central Cascade passes on Sunday.
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. A slight chance of a rain or high-elevation snow shower late in the day. Light ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Cloudy with a chance of light rain or snow showers. Light ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy. Light ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Light rain and snow showers.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy. Light ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Light rain and snow showers with a chance of a wintry mix.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of light rain or snow showers. Light ridgeline winds (moderate near the mountain gaps).
Saturday
Night
Light to moderate rain and high-elevation snow showers. Light ridgeline winds (moderate near the mountain gaps).
Saturday
Mostly cloudy. Light ridgeline and E wind at the Pass.
Saturday
Night
Light rain and snow showers with a chance of a wintry mix. Light ridgeline and E wind at the Pass.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy. Moderate ridgeline and E wind at the Pass.
Saturday
Night
Light snow showers with a chance of a wintry mix. Decreasing light to moderate ridgeline and E wind at the Pass.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy. Light ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Light snow showers. Light ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy. Light ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Light snow showers or wintry mix. Light ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy with a chance of very light snow. Light ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Light snow showers or wintry mix. Light ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy with a chance of light rain, snow showers, or wintry mix. Increasing light to moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Light to moderate rain, snow, and wintry mix. 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).