Issued: 6:54 AM PST Tuesday, January 21, 2025
by Dallas Glass

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

Weather Synopsis

For most locations, it's a chilly and gusty morning in the mountains. While a high pressure ridge keeps us dry, a short-wave disturbance passing to our north will bring a few nuances to what has been a very repetitive forecast. 

The weak short-wave system will flatten the ridge today leading to two more notable changes. First, expect gusty W-NW ridgeline winds. These will be strongest in the eastern forecast zones and on Mt Hood. If you're heading higher on the volcanoes or other notable peaks, very strong alpine winds could make travel extremely difficult. Secondly, high clouds should increase especially in the afternoon. This could bring more filtered sunshine or even overcast conditions. Combine the increased clouds and winds and you get a day that should at least feel much chillier. 

The high pressure ridge quickly rebounds overnight causing winds to sharply decrease and skies to clear. Patchy fog could develop in some deeper mountain valleys and passes, particularly near creeks and ponds. After a chilly start Wednesday morning, temperatures rise as the ridge drifts closer to the coast. Warming will be most pronounced in the Olympics, Hood, and West South zones. The question becomes, can developing easterly flow bring entrenched cold air from Central Washington into the eastern portions of the Cascades and Passes. 

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
Tuesday Mostly sunny, with passing high clouds.
Tuesday Night Partly to mostly clear with passing high clouds.
Tuesday Mostly sunny, with passing high clouds. Light to moderate but gusty W winds.
Tuesday Night Partly to mostly clear with passing high clouds.
Tuesday Mostly sunny, with passing high clouds. Light to moderate but gusty WNW winds.
Tuesday Night Partly to mostly clear with passing high clouds.
Tuesday Mostly sunny, with passing high clouds. Moderate and gusty W winds.
Tuesday Night Partly to mostly clear with passing high clouds. Light to moderate WNW winds decreasing.
Tuesday Mostly sunny, with passing high clouds. Light to moderate but gusty W winds.
Tuesday Night Partly to mostly clear with passing high clouds. Light E flow developing overnight at pass level.
Tuesday Mostly sunny, with passing high clouds. Moderate and gusty W winds.
Tuesday Night Partly to mostly clear with passing high clouds. Moderate and gusty NW winds quickly decreasing in the evening. Light E flow developing at Pass level overnight.
Tuesday Mostly sunny, with passing high clouds. Moderate and gusty WNW wind decreasing slightly.
Tuesday Night Partly to mostly clear with passing high clouds. Light to moderate NW winds decreasing in the evening.
Tuesday Mostly sunny, with passing high clouds. Strong and gusty WNW winds decreasing slightly in te afternoon.
Tuesday Night Partly to mostly clear with passing high clouds. Light to moderate NW decreasing in the evening.
Tuesday Mostly sunny, with passing high clouds. Moderate to strong and gusty WNW winds decreasing slightly in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night Partly to mostly clear with passing high clouds.
Tuesday Mostly sunny, with passing high clouds. Strong and gusty W winds decreasing slightly in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night Partly to mostly clear with passing high clouds. Moderate W wind decreasing in the evening.

Precipitation (in)

Tuesday Tuesday Night Wednesday
4 am - 4 pm 4 pm - 4 am 4 am - 4 pm
Hurricane Ridge 0 0 0
Mt Baker Ski Area 0 0 0
Mt. Loop - Barlow Pass 0 0 0
Stevens Pass 0 0 0
Snoqualmie Pass 0 0 0
Crystal Mt 0 0 0
Paradise 0 0 0
White Pass 0 0 0
Washington Pass 0 0 0
Mission Ridge 0 0 0
Salmon la Sac - Gallagher Head 0 0 0
Tieton River - Darland Mt. 0 0 0
Mt Hood Meadows 0 0 0
Timberline 0 0 0
Hurricane Ridge Precipitation (in)
Tuesday 0
Tuesday Night 0
Wednesday 0
Mt Baker Ski Area Precipitation (in)
Tuesday 0
Tuesday Night 0
Wednesday 0
Mt. Loop - Barlow Pass Precipitation (in)
Tuesday 0
Tuesday Night 0
Wednesday 0
Stevens Pass Precipitation (in)
Tuesday 0
Tuesday Night 0
Wednesday 0
Snoqualmie Pass Precipitation (in)
Tuesday 0
Tuesday Night 0
Wednesday 0
Crystal Mt Precipitation (in)
Tuesday 0
Tuesday Night 0
Wednesday 0
Paradise Precipitation (in)
Tuesday 0
Tuesday Night 0
Wednesday 0
White Pass Precipitation (in)
Tuesday 0
Tuesday Night 0
Wednesday 0
Washington Pass Precipitation (in)
Tuesday 0
Tuesday Night 0
Wednesday 0
Mission Ridge Precipitation (in)
Tuesday 0
Tuesday Night 0
Wednesday 0
Salmon la Sac - Gallagher Head Precipitation (in)
Tuesday 0
Tuesday Night 0
Wednesday 0
Tieton River - Darland Mt. Precipitation (in)
Tuesday 0
Tuesday Night 0
Wednesday 0
Mt Hood Meadows Precipitation (in)
Tuesday 0
Tuesday Night 0
Wednesday 0
Timberline Precipitation (in)
Tuesday 0
Tuesday Night 0
Wednesday 0

Snow Level (ft)

Tuesday Morning Tuesday Afternoon Tuesday Evening* Tuesday Night* Wednesday Morning* Wednesday Afternoon*
Olympics 2000' 3000' 2500' 2000' 4000' 7500'
West North 1000' 2000' 1500' 1000' 2000' 4000'
West Central 1500' 2500' 2000' 1500' 3500' 5000'
West South 1500' 3500' 2500' 1500' 4500' 7000'
Stevens Pass 1500' 2500' 2000' 1500' 2500' 4000'
Snoqualmie Pass 1500' 2500' 2000' 1500' 3000' 5000'
East North 1000' 2000' 1000' 0 2000' 4000'
East Central 1500' 2000' 1000' 0 2000' 4000'
East South 1500' 3000' 2000' 1500' 4000' 7000'
Mt. Hood 4500' 5000' 5000' 5000' 6000' 8000'
Olympics Elevation
Tuesday Morning 2000'
Tuesday Afternoon 3000'
Tuesday Evening* 2500'
Tuesday Night* 2000'
Wednesday Morning* 4000'
Wednesday Afternoon* 7500'
West North Elevation
Tuesday Morning 1000'
Tuesday Afternoon 2000'
Tuesday Evening* 1500'
Tuesday Night* 1000'
Wednesday Morning* 2000'
Wednesday Afternoon* 4000'
West Central Elevation
Tuesday Morning 1500'
Tuesday Afternoon 2500'
Tuesday Evening* 2000'
Tuesday Night* 1500'
Wednesday Morning* 3500'
Wednesday Afternoon* 5000'
West South Elevation
Tuesday Morning 1500'
Tuesday Afternoon 3500'
Tuesday Evening* 2500'
Tuesday Night* 1500'
Wednesday Morning* 4500'
Wednesday Afternoon* 7000'
Stevens Pass Elevation
Tuesday Morning 1500'
Tuesday Afternoon 2500'
Tuesday Evening* 2000'
Tuesday Night* 1500'
Wednesday Morning* 2500'
Wednesday Afternoon* 4000'
Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Tuesday Morning 1500'
Tuesday Afternoon 2500'
Tuesday Evening* 2000'
Tuesday Night* 1500'
Wednesday Morning* 3000'
Wednesday Afternoon* 5000'
East North Elevation
Tuesday Morning 1000'
Tuesday Afternoon 2000'
Tuesday Evening* 1000'
Tuesday Night* 0'
Wednesday Morning* 2000'
Wednesday Afternoon* 4000'
East Central Elevation
Tuesday Morning 1500'
Tuesday Afternoon 2000'
Tuesday Evening* 1000'
Tuesday Night* 0'
Wednesday Morning* 2000'
Wednesday Afternoon* 4000'
East South Elevation
Tuesday Morning 1500'
Tuesday Afternoon 3000'
Tuesday Evening* 2000'
Tuesday Night* 1500'
Wednesday Morning* 4000'
Wednesday Afternoon* 7000'
Mt. Hood Elevation
Tuesday Morning 4500'
Tuesday Afternoon 5000'
Tuesday Evening* 5000'
Tuesday Night* 5000'
Wednesday Morning* 6000'
Wednesday Afternoon* 8000'

5000' Temperatures (°F)

Tuesday Tuesday Night
Max / Min Max / Min
Olympics 28 / 21 27 / 20
West North 28 / 22 27 / 20
West Central 29 / 21 28 / 20
West South 29 / 21 27 / 19
Stevens Pass 28 / 23 27 / 19
Snoqualmie Pass 28 / 22 27 / 20
East North 25 / 16 24 / 15
East Central 29 / 23 26 / 22
East South 28 / 23 26 / 23
Mt. Hood 35 / 27 31 / 27
Olympics 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Tuesday 28 / 21
Tuesday Night 27 / 20
West North 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Tuesday 28 / 22
Tuesday Night 27 / 20
West Central 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Tuesday 29 / 21
Tuesday Night 28 / 20
West South 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Tuesday 29 / 21
Tuesday Night 27 / 19
Stevens Pass 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Tuesday 28 / 23
Tuesday Night 27 / 19
Snoqualmie Pass 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Tuesday 28 / 22
Tuesday Night 27 / 20
East North 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Tuesday 25 / 16
Tuesday Night 24 / 15
East Central 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Tuesday 29 / 23
Tuesday Night 26 / 22
East South 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Tuesday 28 / 23
Tuesday Night 26 / 23
Mt. Hood 5000' Temperature Forecast
(Max / Min)
Tuesday 35 / 27
Tuesday Night 31 / 27

Ridgeline Winds (mph)

Tuesday Morning Tuesday Afternoon Tuesday Evening Tuesday Night
Olympics WNW 5-15 WNW 5-15 VAR 0-10 VAR 0-10
West North W 10-20 W 5-15 WNW 5-15 NW 0-10
West Central WNW 10-20 WNW 10-20 WNW 5-15 NW 0-10
West South W 15-25 W 15-25 WNW 10-20 NW 5-15
Stevens Pass W 10-20 W 10-20 WNW 5-15 NW 0-10
Snoqualmie Pass W 15-25 W 15-25 NW 15-25 NW 5-15
East North WNW 15-25 WNW 10-20 NW 10-20 NW 5-15
East Central WNW 25-35 WNW 20-30 NW 10-20 NW 5-15
East South WNW 20-30 WNW 15-25 NW 5-15 NW 5-15
Mt. Hood W 30-40 W 25-35 W 15-25 NW 5-15
Olympics Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Tuesday Morning WNW 5-15
Tuesday Afternoon WNW 5-15
Tuesday Evening VAR 0-10
Tuesday Night VAR 0-10
West North Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Tuesday Morning W 10-20
Tuesday Afternoon W 5-15
Tuesday Evening WNW 5-15
Tuesday Night NW 0-10
West Central Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Tuesday Morning WNW 10-20
Tuesday Afternoon WNW 10-20
Tuesday Evening WNW 5-15
Tuesday Night NW 0-10
West South Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Tuesday Morning W 15-25
Tuesday Afternoon W 15-25
Tuesday Evening WNW 10-20
Tuesday Night NW 5-15
Stevens Pass Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Tuesday Morning W 10-20
Tuesday Afternoon W 10-20
Tuesday Evening WNW 5-15
Tuesday Night NW 0-10
Snoqualmie Pass Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Tuesday Morning W 15-25
Tuesday Afternoon W 15-25
Tuesday Evening NW 15-25
Tuesday Night NW 5-15
East North Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Tuesday Morning WNW 15-25
Tuesday Afternoon WNW 10-20
Tuesday Evening NW 10-20
Tuesday Night NW 5-15
East Central Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Tuesday Morning WNW 25-35
Tuesday Afternoon WNW 20-30
Tuesday Evening NW 10-20
Tuesday Night NW 5-15
East South Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Tuesday Morning WNW 20-30
Tuesday Afternoon WNW 15-25
Tuesday Evening NW 5-15
Tuesday Night NW 5-15
Mt. Hood Ridgeline Winds (mph)
Tuesday Morning W 30-40
Tuesday Afternoon W 25-35
Tuesday Evening W 15-25
Tuesday Night NW 5-15

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

Previous forecast from Jan 20, 2025

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’.