Don't forget the sunscreen! It should be a beautiful spring day across the mountains with plenty of sunshine, warm temperatures, and generally light winds. A high pressure ridge just off the coast will keep us in this stable pattern for the next several days.
Weak temperature inversions this morning could make it a bit chilly at the trailhead to start the day, but temperatures should warm quickly. However, northerly flow aloft will keep us from getting too hot. A subtle ripple travels down the front side of the ridge this afternoon and evening. This will bring passing bands of high clouds over the region from N to S and increase ridgeline winds. Most locations will only see wind speeds become light to moderate, but for a few places like Mt Hood and Mission Ridge, it could be a bit breezier.
Sunday looks a lot like today. After a cool start to the morning, temperatures once again rise. The biggest difference will be slightly stronger alpine winds. Enjoy the sunshine!
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 sunny with passing high clouds, mainly in the afternoon.
Saturday
Night
Mostly clear with passing high clouds, mainly in the evening. Temperature inversions developing.
Saturday
Mostly sunny with passing high clouds, mainly in the afternoon.
Saturday
Night
Mostly clear with passing high clouds, mainly in the evening. Temperature inversions developing.
Saturday
Mostly sunny with passing high clouds, mainly in the afternoon.
Saturday
Night
Mostly clear with passing high clouds, mainly in the evening. Temperature inversions developing.
Saturday
Mostly sunny with passing high clouds, mainly in the afternoon.
Saturday
Night
Mostly clear with passing high clouds, mainly in the evening. Temperature inversions developing. Light to moderate NW winds turning N.
Saturday
Mostly sunny with passing high clouds, mainly in the afternoon. Light E flow at pass level turning W.
Saturday
Night
Mostly clear with passing high clouds, mainly in the evening. Temperature inversions developing. Light to moderate NW winds turning N and decreasing.
Saturday
Mostly sunny with passing high clouds, mainly in the afternoon. Light E flow at pass level turning W. Ridgeline winds turning WNW and increasing.
Saturday
Night
Mostly clear with passing high clouds, mainly in the evening. Temperature inversions developing. Light to moderate NW winds turning N.
Saturday
Mostly sunny with passing high clouds, mainly in the afternoon.
Saturday
Night
Mostly clear with passing high clouds, mainly in the evening. Temperature inversions developing. Light to moderate NW winds turning N.
Saturday
Mostly sunny with passing high clouds, mainly in the afternoon.
Saturday
Night
Mostly clear with passing high clouds, mainly in the evening. Temperature inversions developing. Light to moderate NW winds turning N.
Saturday
Mostly sunny with passing high clouds, mainly in the afternoon. Moderate NE winds decreasing.
Saturday
Night
Mostly clear with passing high clouds, mainly in the evening. Temperature inversions developing. Light to moderate NW winds turning N.
Saturday
Mostly sunny with passing high clouds, mainly in the afternoon. Moderate NE winds decreasing.
Saturday
Night
Mostly clear with passing high clouds, mainly in the evening. Temperature inversions developing. Light to moderate NW winds turning N and increasing.
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).