Issued: 7:05 AM PST Sunday, January 21, 2024
by Robert Hahn

Jump to: Weather Forecast I Precipitation I Snow Level I 5000' Temps I Ridgeline Winds I

Weather Synopsis

A series of disturbances will rotate into our region around an offshore trough Sunday through Monday. The first disturbance has a low-pressure center near the Olympic Peninsula early Sunday. This will lift bands of moderate rain and snow into our region throughout the day. Ridgeline winds will be SE to SSW, depending upon your location relative to the low pressure center and the light to moderate easterly low-level flow that continues to pass through the lower elevation passes. The easterly flow should keep the passes cooler, but moderating temperatures will finally start to erode the cold air pool east of the Cascades. This low-elevation warming brings temperatures above freezing at 3000 ft early in the day east of Mt Hood, during the later morning hours for the ES zone, during the afternoon hours for the I-90 corridor, and then starts to impact areas further north overnight.

A second disturbance features a low center slightly further offshore that passes through Oregon's nearshore waters Sunday evening and off the coast of Washington overnight. This should bring another uptick in moderate rain and snow as it passes along with a slight strengthening of low-level E winds.

The trough shifts slightly eastward and flattens on Monday as the moisture feed decreases. Expect winds to increase slightly through the mountain gaps, the E slopes of the Cascades and Mt Hood, with additional warming for the E slopes of the Cascades.

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
Sunday Cloudy with periods of light rain and snow. Moderate to heavy rain and snow for the southern and eastern Olympics. Decreasing light to moderate ridgeline winds.
Sunday Night Cloudy with periods of light rain and snow. Mostly light ridgeline winds.
Sunday Cloudy with moderate to heavy rain and snow. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Sunday Night Cloudy with periods of moderate to occasionally heavy rain and snow. Moderate ridgeline winds becoming light to moderate.
Sunday Cloudy with periods of moderate rain and snow. Light ridgeline winds.
Sunday Night Cloudy with periods of light to moderate rain and snow. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Sunday Cloudy with periods of moderate rain and snow (Paradise and Crystal) and light rain and snow (White Pass). Light ridgeline winds.
Sunday Night Cloudy with periods of light to moderate rain and snow, heaviest at Paradise. Light ridgeline winds.
Sunday Cloudy with periods of light snow possibly mixing with freezing rain or sleet late in the day. Light ridgeline and E wind at the Pass.
Sunday Night Cloudy with periods of light snow, freezing rain, or sleet. Light ridgeline and E wind at the Pass.
Sunday Cloudy with periods of light snow possibly mixing with freezing rain, sleet, or rain during the afternoon. Light to moderate ridgeline and E wind at the Pass.
Sunday Night Cloudy with periods of light rain, snow, freezing rain, or sleet. Light to moderate ridgeline and E wind at the Pass.
Sunday Cloudy with periods of light snow. Light ridgeline winds.
Sunday Night Cloudy with periods of light snow. Light ridgeline winds.
Sunday Cloudy with periods of light snow possibly mixing with freezing rain, sleet, or rain in the I-90 corridor during the afternoon. Light ridgeline winds may be locally moderate for the Wenatchee Mountains.
Sunday Night Cloudy with periods of light snow possibly mixing with freezing rain, sleet, or rain. Light ridgeline winds may be locally moderate for the Wenatchee Mountains.
Sunday Cloudy with periods of light snow possibly, changing to a wintry mix including freezing rain, sleet, or plain rain. Light ridgeline winds.
Sunday Night Cloudy with periods of wintry mix including freezing rain, sleet, rain, and higher elevation snow. Light ridgeline winds.
Sunday Cloudy with periods of moderate rain and snow. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Sunday Night Cloudy with periods of moderate rain and snow. Moderate ridgeline winds.

Issued: 7:05 AM PST Sunday, January 21, 2024

Precipitation (in)

Sunday Sunday Night Monday
4 am - 4 pm 4 pm - 4 am 4 am - 4 pm
Hurricane Ridge LT 0.10 LT 0.10 LT 0.25
Mt Baker Ski Area 0.75 -1.00 0.75 0.75 -1.00
Mt. Loop - Barlow Pass 0.25 - 0.50 0.25 - 0.50 0.50
Stevens Pass 0.25 0.25 0.25
Snoqualmie Pass 0.25 - 0.50 0.25 - 0.50 0.25 - 0.50
Crystal Mt 0.25 - 0.50 0.25 - 0.50 0.25
Paradise 0.50 - 0.75 0.50 0.75
White Pass 0.25 LT 0.25 0.25
Washington Pass LT 0.10 LT 0.25 0.25
Mission Ridge 0.25 - 0.50 0.25 0.25
Salmon la Sac - Gallagher Head LT 0.25 0.25 0.25 - 0.50
Tieton River - Darland Mt. 0.25 0.25 0.25
Mt Hood Meadows 0.25 - 0.50 0.50 0.25 - 0.50
Timberline 0.25 - 0.50 0.50 0.25 - 0.50
Hurricane Ridge Precipitation (in)
Sunday LT 0.10
Sunday Night LT 0.10
Monday LT 0.25
Mt Baker Ski Area Precipitation (in)
Sunday 0.75 -1.00
Sunday Night 0.75
Monday 0.75 -1.00
Mt. Loop - Barlow Pass Precipitation (in)
Sunday 0.25 - 0.50
Sunday Night 0.25 - 0.50
Monday 0.50
Stevens Pass Precipitation (in)
Sunday 0.25
Sunday Night 0.25
Monday 0.25
Snoqualmie Pass Precipitation (in)
Sunday 0.25 - 0.50
Sunday Night 0.25 - 0.50
Monday 0.25 - 0.50
Crystal Mt Precipitation (in)
Sunday 0.25 - 0.50
Sunday Night 0.25 - 0.50
Monday 0.25
Paradise Precipitation (in)
Sunday 0.50 - 0.75
Sunday Night 0.50
Monday 0.75
White Pass Precipitation (in)
Sunday 0.25
Sunday Night LT 0.25
Monday 0.25
Washington Pass Precipitation (in)
Sunday LT 0.10
Sunday Night LT 0.25
Monday 0.25
Mission Ridge Precipitation (in)
Sunday 0.25 - 0.50
Sunday Night 0.25
Monday 0.25
Salmon la Sac - Gallagher Head Precipitation (in)
Sunday LT 0.25
Sunday Night 0.25
Monday 0.25 - 0.50
Tieton River - Darland Mt. Precipitation (in)
Sunday 0.25
Sunday Night 0.25
Monday 0.25
Mt Hood Meadows Precipitation (in)
Sunday 0.25 - 0.50
Sunday Night 0.50
Monday 0.25 - 0.50
Timberline Precipitation (in)
Sunday 0.25 - 0.50
Sunday Night 0.50
Monday 0.25 - 0.50

Issued: 7:05 AM PST Sunday, January 21, 2024

Snow Level (ft)

Sunday Morning* Sunday Afternoon* Sunday Evening* Sunday Night* Monday Morning* Monday Afternoon*
Olympics 4500' 5000' 5000' 5000' 5000' 5000'
West North 4000' 4500' 4500' 4500' 4000' 4000'
West Central 4500' 4500' 4500' 5000' 4000' 4500'
West South 4500' 4500' 5000' 5000' 4500' 4500'
Stevens Pass 2500' 2500' 3000' 3000' 3000' 3500'
Snoqualmie Pass 2500' 3000' 3500' 3500' 3500' 4000'
East North 1000' 1500' 2000' 2500' 3000' 3500'
East Central 1000' 2500' 3000' 3000' 3000' 3500'
East South 2000' 3500' 4000' 4000' 4000' 4500'
Mt. Hood 5000' 5500' 5500' 5500' 5500' 5000'
Olympics Elevation
Sunday Morning* 4500'
Sunday Afternoon* 5000'
Sunday Evening* 5000'
Sunday Night* 5000'
Monday Morning* 5000'
Monday Afternoon* 5000'
West North Elevation
Sunday Morning* 4000'
Sunday Afternoon* 4500'
Sunday Evening* 4500'
Sunday Night* 4500'
Monday Morning* 4000'
Monday Afternoon* 4000'
West Central Elevation
Sunday Morning* 4500'
Sunday Afternoon* 4500'
Sunday Evening* 4500'
Sunday Night* 5000'
Monday Morning* 4000'
Monday Afternoon* 4500'
West South Elevation
Sunday Morning* 4500'
Sunday Afternoon* 4500'
Sunday Evening* 5000'
Sunday Night* 5000'
Monday Morning* 4500'
Monday Afternoon* 4500'
Stevens Pass Elevation
Sunday Morning* 2500'
Sunday Afternoon* 2500'
Sunday Evening* 3000'
Sunday Night* 3000'
Monday Morning* 3000'
Monday Afternoon* 3500'
Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Sunday Morning* 2500'
Sunday Afternoon* 3000'
Sunday Evening* 3500'
Sunday Night* 3500'
Monday Morning* 3500'
Monday Afternoon* 4000'
East North Elevation
Sunday Morning* 1000'
Sunday Afternoon* 1500'
Sunday Evening* 2000'
Sunday Night* 2500'
Monday Morning* 3000'
Monday Afternoon* 3500'
East Central Elevation
Sunday Morning* 1000'
Sunday Afternoon* 2500'
Sunday Evening* 3000'
Sunday Night* 3000'
Monday Morning* 3000'
Monday Afternoon* 3500'
East South Elevation
Sunday Morning* 2000'
Sunday Afternoon* 3500'
Sunday Evening* 4000'
Sunday Night* 4000'
Monday Morning* 4000'
Monday Afternoon* 4500'
Mt. Hood Elevation
Sunday Morning* 5000'
Sunday Afternoon* 5500'
Sunday Evening* 5500'
Sunday Night* 5500'
Monday Morning* 5500'
Monday Afternoon* 5000'

Issued: 7:05 AM PST Sunday, January 21, 2024

5000' Temperatures (°F)

Sunday Sunday Night
Max / Min Max / Min
Olympics 33 / 32 34 / 31
West North 33 / 30 32 / 30
West Central 33 / 29 32 / 30
West South 34 / 30 34 / 31
Stevens Pass 33 / 27 30 / 28
Snoqualmie Pass 32 / 28 31 / 29
East North 30 / 23 28 / 25
East Central 33 / 28 31 / 29
East South 34 / 28 32 / 30
Mt. Hood 35 / 32 34 / 33
Olympics 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Sunday 33 / 32
Sunday Night 34 / 31
West North 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Sunday 33 / 30
Sunday Night 32 / 30
West Central 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Sunday 33 / 29
Sunday Night 32 / 30
West South 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Sunday 34 / 30
Sunday Night 34 / 31
Stevens Pass 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Sunday 33 / 27
Sunday Night 30 / 28
Snoqualmie Pass 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Sunday 32 / 28
Sunday Night 31 / 29
East North 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Sunday 30 / 23
Sunday Night 28 / 25
East Central 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Sunday 33 / 28
Sunday Night 31 / 29
East South 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Sunday 34 / 28
Sunday Night 32 / 30
Mt. Hood 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Sunday 35 / 32
Sunday Night 34 / 33

Issued: 7:05 AM PST Sunday, January 21, 2024

Ridgeline Winds (mph)

Sunday Morning Sunday Afternoon Sunday Evening Sunday Night
Olympics SSW 15-25 SSW 10-20 SSW 10-20 SSE 5-15
West North S 15-25 S 10-20 S 15-25 SSE 10-20
West Central SSE 5-15 SE 5-15 SSE 5-15 SE 10-20
West South SSW 5-15 SSW 5-15 SSW 5-15 SSE 5-15
Stevens Pass S 0-10 SSE 5-15 SSE 5-15 SE 10-20
Snoqualmie Pass SSE 5-15 SE 10-20 SE 10-20 ESE 15-25
East North S 5-15 SSE 5-15 SSE 5-15 SE 5-15
East Central SW 5-15 S 10-20 SSW 10-20 SSE 10-20
East South SSW 5-15 S 5-15 S 5-15 SSE 5-15
Mt. Hood SW 10-20 SW 15-25 SSW 10-20 SSW 10-20
Olympics Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Sunday Morning SSW 15-25
Sunday Afternoon SSW 10-20
Sunday Evening SSW 10-20
Sunday Night SSE 5-15
West North Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Sunday Morning S 15-25
Sunday Afternoon S 10-20
Sunday Evening S 15-25
Sunday Night SSE 10-20
West Central Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Sunday Morning SSE 5-15
Sunday Afternoon SE 5-15
Sunday Evening SSE 5-15
Sunday Night SE 10-20
West South Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Sunday Morning SSW 5-15
Sunday Afternoon SSW 5-15
Sunday Evening SSW 5-15
Sunday Night SSE 5-15
Stevens Pass Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Sunday Morning S 0-10
Sunday Afternoon SSE 5-15
Sunday Evening SSE 5-15
Sunday Night SE 10-20
Snoqualmie Pass Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Sunday Morning SSE 5-15
Sunday Afternoon SE 10-20
Sunday Evening SE 10-20
Sunday Night ESE 15-25
East North Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Sunday Morning S 5-15
Sunday Afternoon SSE 5-15
Sunday Evening SSE 5-15
Sunday Night SE 5-15
East Central Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Sunday Morning SW 5-15
Sunday Afternoon S 10-20
Sunday Evening SSW 10-20
Sunday Night SSE 10-20
East South Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Sunday Morning SSW 5-15
Sunday Afternoon S 5-15
Sunday Evening S 5-15
Sunday Night SSE 5-15
Mt. Hood Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Sunday Morning SW 10-20
Sunday Afternoon SW 15-25
Sunday Evening SSW 10-20
Sunday Night SSW 10-20

Jump to: Weather Forecast I Precipitation I Snow Level I 5000' Temps I Ridgeline Winds I

Previous forecast from Jan 20, 2024

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).

The label LT, is shorthand for ‘less than’.