Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
Weather Synopsis for Saturday & Tuesday
The weather pattern in place feels more like spring than January with warm frontal moisture draped over the Pacific Northwest Saturday morning and NWAC mountain temperatures consistently in the 40s. Generally 1-3 inches of rain fell at NWAC stations over the last 24 hrs ending 4 am Saturday morning along the west slopes of the Cascades and Mt. Hood, with lower totals for Hurricane, Crystal and east slope locals.
Warm frontal precipitation will lift north today and light rain should ease this afternoon along the west slopes, tapering off in a south to north fashion. The atmospheric river pumping moisture into our area will lift well north into British Columbia Saturday night and Sunday as a strong upper level ridge builds along the U.S. west coast.
Despite the drying trend, expect moderate to strong westerly winds in the alpine, particularly in the central and north Cascades through Sunday.
Sunday should be quite warm with mostly sunny skies and with freezing levels between 11000 and 12000 feet.
Weather Forecast
Olympics, Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie, and White Passes
| Saturday Afternoon - Saturday Evening |
Periods of light rain tapering off in the late afternoon and evening, becoming mostly cloudy with more cloud breaks south Cascades. |
| Saturday Night |
Partly to mostly cloudy. |
| Sunday - Sunday Night |
Mostly clear and unseasonably warm. |
East slopes of the Washington Cascades
| Saturday Afternoon |
Periods of light rain mainly near the Cascade crest tapering off in the afternoon, becoming partly to mostly cloudy. |
| Saturday Night |
Partly to mostly cloudy. |
| Sunday - Sunday Night |
Mostly clear and unseasonably warm, except low clouds along the east slopes. |
Mt. Hood Area
| Saturday Afternoon |
Periods of light rain ending in the afternoon and becoming partly to mostly cloudy. |
| Saturday Night |
Partly cloudy. |
| Sunday - Sunday Night |
Mostly clear and unseasonably warm. |
Issued: 2:42 PM PST Saturday, January 24, 2015
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday - Saturday Night | Snow Level | 9000' | 8000' | 8000' | ' | ' | 9000' | ' | 9500' |
| Sunday - Sunday Night | Freezing Level | 11500' | 10500' | 10500' | ' | ' | 11500' | ' | 12000' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level 9000' |
| Sunday - Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 11500' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level 8000' |
| Sunday - Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 10500' |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level 8000' |
| Sunday - Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 10500' |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday - Sunday Night |
Freezing Level ' |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday - Sunday Night |
Freezing Level ' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level 9000' |
| Sunday - Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 11500' |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Sunday - Sunday Night |
Freezing Level ' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday - Saturday Night |
Snow Level 9500' |
| Sunday - Sunday Night |
Freezing Level 12000' |
* 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
| Tuesday | Tuesday | |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ridge | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | 0 - 0.50 | LT 0.10 |
| Washington Pass | LT 0.10 | 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 0.10 | LT 0.10 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 |
| Timberline | 0 - 0.50 | 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: 2:42 PM PST Saturday, January 24, 2015
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 5 - 15 | SW 10 - 20 | SW 10 - 20 | --- - | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | SW 10 - 20 | SW 5 - 15 | SW 5 - 15 | --- - | SW 5 - 15 |
| Sunday - Sunday Night | SW 5 - 15 | SW 5 - 15 | S 0 - 140 | --- - | S 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Sunday - Sunday Night | SW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | SW 5 - 15 |
| Sunday - Sunday Night | SW 5 - 15 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | SW 5 - 15 |
| Sunday - Sunday Night | S 0 - 140 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | --- - |
| Saturday Night | --- - |
| Sunday - Sunday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | SW 5 - 15 |
| Sunday - Sunday Night | S 0 - 10 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 5 - 15 |
| Saturday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Sunday - Sunday Night | SW 5 - 15 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | SW 5 - 15 |
| Sunday - Sunday Night | SW 5 - 15 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | SW 5 - 15 |
| Sunday - Sunday Night | S 0 - 140 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | --- - |
| Saturday Night | --- - |
| Sunday - Sunday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday Afternoon | SW 10 - 20 |
| Saturday Night | SW 5 - 15 |
| Sunday - Sunday Night | S 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.
Free Winds at 9000' (mph)
| Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | W 30 - 40 | W 40 - 55 | W 40 - 50 | --- - | NW 30 - 45 |
| Saturday Night - Sunday Morning | W 40 - 50 | W 60 - 75 | W 40 - 50 | --- - | W 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Afternoon | WSW 35 - 45 | WSW 50 - 60 | SW 30 - 40 | --- - | SW 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Night | SW 20 - 30 | SW 30 - 40 | SW 20 - 30 | --- - | SSW 15 - 25 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday | W 30 - 40 |
| Saturday Night - Sunday Morning | W 40 - 50 |
| Sunday Afternoon | WSW 35 - 45 |
| Sunday Night | SW 20 - 30 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday | W 40 - 55 |
| Saturday Night - Sunday Morning | W 60 - 75 |
| Sunday Afternoon | WSW 50 - 60 |
| Sunday Night | SW 30 - 40 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday | W 40 - 50 |
| Saturday Night - Sunday Morning | W 40 - 50 |
| Sunday Afternoon | SW 30 - 40 |
| Sunday Night | SW 20 - 30 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday | --- - |
| Saturday Night - Sunday Morning | --- - |
| Sunday Afternoon | --- - |
| Sunday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Saturday | NW 30 - 45 |
| Saturday Night - Sunday Morning | W 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Afternoon | SW 20 - 30 |
| Sunday Night | SSW 15 - 25 |
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: 2:42 PM PST Saturday, January 24, 2015
Extended Weather Synopsis for Tuesday night through Tuesday
The warm and dry weather will continue Monday and Monday night. Light offshore flow will increase Sunday night and into Monday and valley/pass temperature inversions will become commonplace along with areas of fog.
A splitting frontal system will approach from the west on Tuesday. This front may bring some light precipitation to the west slopes and Olympics on Tuesday along with an increase in clouds as snow levels lower to 5000-6000 feet. Another weather disturbance may pass through the area Wednesday. Confidence is low on timing details and whether systems will temporarily break down the ridge mid-week at all.
Extended Weather
Olympics, Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood Area
Monday - Monday NightMostly clear and continued warm. Areas of low clouds and cooler temperature valleys and Cascade passes.
Tuesday - WednesdaySlightly cooler. Mostly cloudy with periods of light rain and snow.
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Freezing Level | 10500' - 11500' | 11000' - 12000' | 11500' - 12500' | * |
| Monday Night | Freezing Level | 8500' - 9500' | 9000' - 1000' | 10000' - 11000' | |
| Tuesday - Wednesday | Snow Level | 5000' - 6000' | 5500' - 6500' | 6000' - 7000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Monday |
Freezing Level 10500' - 11500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Night |
Freezing Level 8500' - 9500' |
| Tuesday - Wednesday |
Snow Level 5000' - 6000' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Monday |
Freezing Level 11000' - 12000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Night |
Freezing Level 9000' - 1000' |
| Tuesday - Wednesday |
Snow Level 5500' - 6500' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Monday |
Freezing Level 11500' - 12500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Monday Night |
Freezing Level 10000' - 11000' |
| Tuesday - Wednesday |
Snow Level 6000' - 7000' |
* 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 24, 2015
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.