Mountain temperatures this morning are generally near or below freezing along the east slopes of the Cascades and Passes and slightly above freezing west of the Cascade crest. Once the sun comes up, we'll be on our way to a mild Spring day with freezing levels peaking near 8000' in the north and 10,000' to the south. 5000' mid-mountain temperatures will top out in the upper 40s to low 50s today. Locally breezy E-SE winds should back off later this morning along the east slopes and Passes. High clouds will slip under an upper level ridge of high pressure and make for periods of filtered sunshine Saturday mid-day/afternoon.
A weak frontal system will slowly approach the coast today and tonight, likely pushing light rain onto the Olympic Peninsula before sunrise early Sunday. The front's inland progression will largely stall as the upper level ridge amplifies over the intermountain West. Light rain and high elevation snow will likely push into the west slopes of the Cascades in the afternoon, but may hold off east of the crest until Sunday evening. Southerly ridgeline winds will increase during the day as well.
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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Saturday
Partly to mostly sunny with periods of filtered sun. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain after midnight. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Mostly sunny in the morning with a few high clouds, then increasing high clouds and periods of filtered sun. Light to moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Partly to mostly clear. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Mostly sunny in the morning with a few high clouds, then partly sunny with increasing high clouds and periods of filtered sun. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Partly to mostly clear. Light to moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Mostly sunny in the morning with a few high clouds, then partly sunny with increasing high clouds and periods of filtered sun. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Partly to mostly clear. Light to moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Mostly sunny in the morning with a few high clouds, then partly sunny with increasing high clouds and periods of filtered sun. Light to moderate SE ridgeline winds and E Pass level winds, strongest in the morning.
Saturday
Night
Partly to mostly clear. Light to occasionally moderate S ridgeline and E Pass level winds.
Saturday
Mostly sunny in the morning with a few high clouds, then partly sunny with increasing high clouds and periods of filtered sun. Light to moderate SE ridgeline winds and E Pass level winds, strongest in the morning.
Saturday
Night
Partly to mostly clear. Light to occasionally moderate S ridgeline and E Pass level winds.
Saturday
Mostly sunny in the morning with a few high clouds, then partly sunny with increasing high clouds and periods of filtered sun. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Partly to mostly clear.Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Mostly sunny in the morning with a few high clouds, then partly sunny with increasing high clouds and periods of filtered sun. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Partly to mostly clear. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Mostly sunny in the morning with a few high clouds, then partly sunny with increasing high clouds and periods of filtered sun. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Partly to mostly clear. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Mostly sunny in the morning with a few high clouds, then partly sunny with increasing high clouds and periods of filtered sun. Light to occasionally moderate ridgeline winds.
Saturday
Night
Partly to mostly clear. Light to 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).