Today will be a bit of a transition in the mountains as we slowly shift from a showery broad open trough to a sunnier high pressure ridge. Exactly how fast the change occurs is hard to say, but overall, the trough seems to be hanging on longer than expected.
NW flow and lingering low level moisture will mean most mountain locations start the day cloudy. While flurries will be a common site, they shouldn't amount to much, if any, measurable precipitation. A few stronger showers could bring a healthy dusting of snow to areas from Snoqualmie Pass to Mt Hood. With generally light winds, there's not much to help mix out these pesky low clouds. However, as the high pressure ridge nudges east into the area we should experience some clearing. Determining exactly when and where the clouds will part is the million-dollar question. Your best bet for partly to mostly sunny skies is near Hurricane Ridge, Mt Baker, WA Pass, and Mission Ridge. Other locations could see sun breaks, but don't seem as likely to develop significant sunshine.
Upper air flow turns more northerly overnight helping the region dry out even further. This should put an end to any showers and push moisture into patchy low level clouds and valley fog. On Monday, a dry short-wave disturbance will approach from the north. As it does, any lingering clouds will be forced further and further south. Instead of precipitation, this little system will mainly cause an uptick in winds. Offshore flow will create stronger easterly winds through the Passes and along the Cascade Crest in the afternoon and evening. Situated on the front edge of this ridge, we'll start a few days of dry, cold, and sunny weather.
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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Sunday
Mostly cloudy with a few flurries possible. Some sunshine possible in the afternoon.
Sunday
Night
Mostly clear with low clouds and fog.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy in the morning, becoming partly to mostly sunny.
Sunday
Night
Mostly clear with some low clouds and fog.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy with a few flurries. A few sun breaks in the afternoon.
Sunday
Night
Mostly clear with low clouds and fog.
Sunday
Cloudy in the morning with a few isolated snow showers.Low clouds in the afternoon with patchy clearing possible particularly near the crest.
Sunday
Night
Mostly clear with low clouds and fog.
Sunday
Cloudy with a few flurries. Possibly becoming partly sunny with low clouds.
Sunday
Night
Mostly clear with low clouds and fog. Easterly flow developing at Pass level.
Sunday
Cloudy with isolated snow showers. Some sunshine possible in the afternoon.
Sunday
Night
Mostly clear with low clouds and fog. East flow developing at Pass level.
Sunday
Partly to mostly cloudy in the morning with snow flurries. Becoming mostly sunny.
Sunday
Night
Mostly clear with low clouds and patchy fog.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy with a few flurries possible. Partial clearing possible particularly in the eastern part of the zone.
Sunday
Night
Mostly clear with low clouds and fog.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy in the morning with a few flurries. Partly to mostly sunny in the afternoon with lingering low clouds.
Sunday
Night
Mostly clear with low clouds and fog.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy with a few isolated snow showers. Sun breaks possible in the afternoon. Moderate but gusty WNW winds decreasing during the day.
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).