We're in for a mostly sunny and mild day as an upper level ridge of high pressure noses into the area. Freezing levels will rise to 7500-8000' across the area and mid-mountain temperatures will climb into the mid to upper 40s. The Cascade Passes, the West South, and Mt Hood will see periods of moderate SE ridgeline winds with weak/moderate offshore flow.
The ridge will shift inland and begin to break down tonight as a weak Pacific frontal system approaches tonight. We'll have a mild overnight with mid-mountain temperatures above freezing, and some high clouds will begin to move through the region.
We'll see a similar story for Saturday with the mildest freezing levels this week 8000-10,000' but as the frontal system approaches, expect more high and mid-clouds and some filtered sunshine during the day. The front will arrive on Sunday with high snow levels but the this doesn't look like a soaker.
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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Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds. Light ridgeline winds increasing slightly in the afternoon.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear with scattered high clouds. High clouds increasing late. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds. Light ridgeline winds increasing slightly in the afternoon.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear with scattered high clouds. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear with a few high clouds. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds. Light to moderate ridgeline winds.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear with scattered high clouds. Light to moderate ridgeline winds.
Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds. Light to moderate SE ridgeline and E Pass level winds.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear with scattered high clouds. Light to moderate SE ridgeline and E Pass level winds.
Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds. Light to moderate SE ridgeline and E Pass level winds.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear with scattered high clouds. Light to moderate SE ridgeline and E Pass level winds.
Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear with scattered high clouds. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear with scattered high clouds. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear with scattered high clouds. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Friday
Mostly sunny with a few high clouds. Light to moderate ridgeline winds.
Friday
Night
Mostly clear with scattered high clouds. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
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).