Issued: 1:53 PM PST Monday, January 19, 2015
by Dennis D'Amico

Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather

Weather Synopsis for Monday & Friday

Generally 2-12 inches of new snowfall accumulated for the 24 hr period ending 4 am Monday above 3500 ft. Orographic showers in cool westerly flow will continue to mainly affect the west slopes of the Cascades and Olympics through this afternoon. The westerly flow will ease this afternoon and tonight and the showers should taper off overnight.  Brisk westerly winds early Monday morning will also begin to ease through the afternoon hours and become light Monday night. 

An upper level ridge offshore will build on Tuesday.  A warming trend will begin on Tuesday under partly to mostly sunny skies.  

 

Weather Forecast

Olympics, Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie, and White Passes
Monday Afternoon

Mostly cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers. 
Monday Night

Scattered light rain and snow showers ending in the evening, becoming partly cloudy. 
Tuesday - Tuesday Night

Partly cloudy in the morning becoming mostly sunny and warmer in the afternoon. Mostly clear at night. 
East slopes of the Washington Cascades
Monday

Mostly cloudy with light rain and snow showers near the Cascade crest, partly cloudy with isolated showers further east. 
Monday Night

Partly cloudy, becoming mostly clear overnight. 
Tuesday - Tuesday Night

Mostly sunny during the day, mostly clear at night. 
Mt. Hood Area
Monday

Mostly cloudy with light rain and snow showers, winds slowly decreasing through the day. 
Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, becoming partly cloudy overnight. 
Tuesday - Tuesday Night

Partly cloudy in the morning becoming mostly sunny and warmer in the afternoon. Mostly clear at night. 

Issued: 1:53 PM PST Monday, January 19, 2015

Snow/Freezing Level (ft)

Hurricane Ridge Mt. Baker Washington Pass Leavenworth Stevens Pass Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass Mt. Hood
Monday Snow Level 3000' 2500' 2500' ' ' 3500' ' 3500'
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning Freezing Level 3500' 2000' 500' ' ' 2500' ' 4500'
Tuesday Afternoon Freezing Level * 5500' 4500' 2000' ' ' 4500' ' 6000'
Tuesday Night Freezing Level * 6500' 5500' 2000' ' ' 6000' ' 7500'
Hurricane Ridge Elevation
Monday Snow Level
3000'
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning Freezing Level
3500'
Tuesday Afternoon Freezing Level
5500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Tuesday Night Freezing Level
6500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Mt. Baker Elevation
Monday Snow Level
2500'
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning Freezing Level
2000'
Tuesday Afternoon Freezing Level
4500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Tuesday Night Freezing Level
5500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Washington Pass Elevation
Monday Snow Level
2500'
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning Freezing Level
500'
Tuesday Afternoon Freezing Level
2000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Tuesday Night Freezing Level
2000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Leavenworth Elevation
Monday Snow Level
'
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning Freezing Level
'
Tuesday Afternoon Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Tuesday Night Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Stevens Pass Elevation
Monday Snow Level
'
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning Freezing Level
'
Tuesday Afternoon Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Tuesday Night Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Monday Snow Level
3500'
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning Freezing Level
2500'
Tuesday Afternoon Freezing Level
4500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Tuesday Night Freezing Level
6000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Mt. Rainier & Crystal Elevation
Monday Snow Level
'
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning Freezing Level
'
Tuesday Afternoon Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Tuesday Night Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Mt. Hood Elevation
Monday Snow Level
3500'
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning Freezing Level
4500'
Tuesday Afternoon Freezing Level
6000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Tuesday Night Freezing Level
7500'
(Easterly Flow *)

* Easterly flow in the Cascade Passes can cause locally lower Snow or Freezing levels than areas further west.
Freezing Level is when no precipitation is forecast.

Precipitation Forecast

Friday Friday
Hurricane Ridge LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Mt Baker Ski Area 0.25 - 0.50 LT 0.10
Washington Pass LT 0.25 LT 0.10
Stevens Pass LT 0.25 LT 0.10
Snoqualmie Pass LT 0.25 LT 0.10
Mission Ridge LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Crystal Mt LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Paradise LT 0.25 LT 0.10
White Pass LT 0.25 LT 0.10
Mt Hood Meadows LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Timberline LT 0.10 LT 0.10

LT = less than; WE or Water equivalent is the liquid water equivalent of melted snow in hundredths of inches. As a rough approximation 1 inch of snow = about .10 inches WE, or 10 inches of snow = about 1 inch WE.

Issued: 1:53 PM PST Monday, January 19, 2015

Free Winds at 5000' (mph)

Hurricane Ridge Mt. Baker Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Rainier Mt. Hood
Monday Afternoon W 5 - 15 W 5 - 15 W 5 - 15 --- - W 5 - 15
Monday Night N 0 - 10 N 0 - 10 N 0 - 10 --- - NE 0 - 10
Tuesday N 0 - 10 VAR 0 - 10 E 0 - 10 --- - E 5 - 15
Tuesday Night VAR 0 - 10 VAR 0 - 10 E 5 - 15 --- - E 10 - 20
Hurricane Ridge Elevation
Monday Afternoon W 5 - 15
Monday Night N 0 - 10
Tuesday N 0 - 10
Tuesday Night VAR 0 - 10
Mt. Baker Elevation
Monday Afternoon W 5 - 15
Monday Night N 0 - 10
Tuesday VAR 0 - 10
Tuesday Night VAR 0 - 10
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Monday Afternoon W 5 - 15
Monday Night N 0 - 10
Tuesday E 0 - 10
Tuesday Night E 5 - 15
Mt. Rainier Elevation
Monday Afternoon --- -
Monday Night --- -
Tuesday --- -
Tuesday Night --- -
Mt. Hood Elevation
Monday Afternoon W 5 - 15
Monday Night NE 0 - 10
Tuesday E 5 - 15
Tuesday Night E 10 - 20
Hurricane Ridge Direction - Speed
Monday Afternoon W 5 - 15
Monday Night N 0 - 10
Tuesday N 0 - 10
Tuesday Night VAR 0 - 10
Mt. Baker Direction - Speed
Monday Afternoon W 5 - 15
Monday Night N 0 - 10
Tuesday VAR 0 - 10
Tuesday Night VAR 0 - 10
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Direction - Speed
Monday Afternoon W 5 - 15
Monday Night N 0 - 10
Tuesday E 0 - 10
Tuesday Night E 5 - 15
Mt. Rainier Direction - Speed
Monday Afternoon --- -
Monday Night --- -
Tuesday --- -
Tuesday Night --- -
Mt. Hood Direction - Speed
Monday Afternoon W 5 - 15
Monday Night NE 0 - 10
Tuesday E 5 - 15
Tuesday Night E 10 - 20

Directions above indicate the direction the wind blows from on the 16-point cardinal scale. These winds indicate "free" winds, or those winds in the atmosphere not influenced by terrain. Topographical effects may produce greater or lower wind speeds in certain locations as well as significant variations in direction.

Free Winds at 9000' (mph)

Mt. Baker Washington Pass Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Rainier Mt. Hood
Monday Afternoon NW 15 - 25 NW 20 - 30 NW 25 - 35 --- - NW 20 - 30
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning NW 15 - 25 NW 0 - 10 NW 10 - 20 --- - NW 5 - 15
Tuesday Afternoon - Tuesday Night WNW 5 - 15 WNW 5 - 15 NW 5 - 15 --- - NE 0 - 10
Mt. Baker Direction - Speed
Monday Afternoon NW 15 - 25
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning NW 15 - 25
Tuesday Afternoon - Tuesday Night WNW 5 - 15
Washington Pass Direction - Speed
Monday Afternoon NW 20 - 30
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning NW 0 - 10
Tuesday Afternoon - Tuesday Night WNW 5 - 15
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Direction - Speed
Monday Afternoon NW 25 - 35
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning NW 10 - 20
Tuesday Afternoon - Tuesday Night NW 5 - 15
Mt. Rainier Direction - Speed
Monday Afternoon --- -
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning --- -
Tuesday Afternoon - Tuesday Night --- -
Mt. Hood Direction - Speed
Monday Afternoon NW 20 - 30
Monday Night - Tuesday Morning NW 5 - 15
Tuesday Afternoon - Tuesday Night NE 0 - 10

Directions above indicate the direction the wind blows from on the 16-point cardinal scale. These winds indicate "free" winds, or those winds in the atmosphere not influenced by terrain. Topographical effects may produce greater or lower wind speeds in certain locations as well as significant variations in direction.

Issued: 1:53 PM PST Monday, January 19, 2015

Extended Weather Synopsis for Friday night through Friday

The upper level ridge will weaken and flop into southern B.C. on Wednesday as a weak Pacific front approaches. This should lead to increasing clouds on Wednesday.  However, freezing levels will be quite mild outside of cool easterly flow in the Cascade Passes.  The weak front may bring some very light rain and snow to the north Cascades and Olympics Wednesday night.  

Another weak front may approach from the west on Thursday for another round of light precipitation Thursday night. Long range forecast model differences exist, but the general trend for the end of the week and into the weekend is for continued warming with heavier precipitation directed by a stronger and more consolidated jetstream into southern British Columbia and less clouds and opportunity for precipitation further south toward Mt. Hood. 

Extended Weather

Olympics, Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood area
Wednesday

Warmer.  Partly cloudy with increasing clouds during the day. 

Wednesday Night

Mild. Light rain and snow possible north Cascades and Olympics.  Mostly cloudy elsewhere. 

Thursday - Thursday Night

Partly to mostly cloudy. Mild. 

Friday

Warmer. Mostly cloudy north part, partly cloudy south part. 

Extended Snow/Freezing Levels

Mt. Baker Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Hood Easterly Flow *
Wednesday Freezing Level 6500' - 7500' 7000' - 8000' 8000' - 9000' *
Wednesday Night Snow Level 4500' - 5500' 6000' - 7000' 7000' - 8000' *
Thursday - Thursday Night Freezing Level 6000' - 7000' 6500' - 7500' 7000' - 8000' *
Friday Freezing Level 8500' - 9500' 9000' - 10000' 9500' - 10500' *
Mt. Baker Elevation
Wednesday Freezing Level
6500' - 7500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Wednesday Night Snow Level
4500' - 5500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Thursday - Thursday Night Freezing Level
6000' - 7000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Friday Freezing Level
8500' - 9500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Wednesday Freezing Level
7000' - 8000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Wednesday Night Snow Level
6000' - 7000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Thursday - Thursday Night Freezing Level
6500' - 7500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Friday Freezing Level
9000' - 10000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Mt. Hood Elevation
Wednesday Freezing Level
8000' - 9000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Wednesday Night Snow Level
7000' - 8000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Thursday - Thursday Night Freezing Level
7000' - 8000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Friday Freezing Level
9500' - 10500'
(Easterly Flow *)

* Easterly flow in the Cascade Passes can cause locally lower Snow or Freezing levels than areas further west.
Freezing Level is when no precipitation is forecast.

Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather

Previous forecast from Jan 19, 2015

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