Temperatures remain unseasonably cold over the Pacific Northwest. A WSW-ENE-oriented elongated trough sits over the region. A weakening surface low just SW of the Olympic Mountains will continue to spin mostly light snow into the west slopes of the Cascades from around I-90 northward, thanks to a diffuse band of convergence snowfall as weakening Fraser outflow interacts with SW winds around the surface feature. This feature should mostly impact the western Highway 2 corridor and gradually taper through the mid-day hours. Expect partly to mostly cloudy skies across northern Washington by the afternoon, with slightly moderating temperatures.
High and mid-level clouds associated with a stronger system moving into California will continue to drift northward across the southern Cascades, providing filtered sunshine that transitions to obscured skies. By the afternoon, expect some very light snow to develop for Mt Hood up to White Pass, along with a shift to generally light SE winds. This pattern continues Thursday night and Friday. Expect far more sunshine in the northern Cascades.
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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Thursday
Mostly cloudy with a chance of very light snow along the northern Olympics early in the day. Light snow showers continue for the eastern Olympics until around 10 AM. Becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon.
Thursday
Night
Partly cloudy to mostly clear skies.
Thursday
Light snow continues at times through mid-day, then becoming partly cloudy.
Thursday
Night
Partly cloudy to mostly clear skies.
Thursday
Light to occasionally moderate snowfall tapers by mid-day. Then partly to mostly cloudy skies in the afternoon.
Thursday
Night
Partly cloudy to mostly clear skies.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy to start, then clearing low clouds while mid and high clouds increase.
Thursday
Night
Mostly cloudy with snow flurries near the Cascade Crest.
Thursday
Light snow at times through mid-morning, then becoming partly cloudy. Light ridgeline and E wind at the Pass.
Thursday
Night
High clouds. Light ridgeline and E wind at the Pass.
Thursday
Light snow at times through mid-morning, then becoming partly cloudy. Light ridgeline and E wind at the Pass.
Thursday
Night
High clouds. Light ridgeline and E wind at the Pass.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy with snow flurries in the morning, then becoming partly to mostly sunny.
Thursday
Night
Partly cloudy to mostly clear skies.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy with snow flurries in the morning, then becoming partly to mostly sunny.
Thursday
Night
High clouds.
Thursday
Partly cloudy to start, then increasing high clouds with very light snow developing in the southern part during the afternoon,
Thursday
Night
Cloudy with very light snow at times in the southern part.
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).