After weeks of near constant rain and snow, we're finally about to get a break and see significant sunshine in the mountains. Many places will start the day cloudy. A Puget Sound Convergence Zone is keeping snow falling around Stevens and Snoqualmie Passes, but this should quickly draw to a close this morning. Elsewhere, a few showers are adding to the overnight snow totals, particularly at Mt Baker, the Southern Cascades, and Mt Hood. It's also quite windy in many locations near and south of Highway 2. While winds should decrease during the day, expect strong and gusty winds to persist on Mt Hood and Mt Saint Helens.
A high pressure ridge building off the coast will help conditions to dry out and clear up. Sunbreaks should turn to sunshine for many areas, especially in the Olympics, North Cascades, and eastern forecast zones. Mt Hood will likely be the last to cast aside its cloudy coat, and that might not happen until Sunday.
A subtle short-wave disturbance will pass overhead this evening. While some weather models want there to be precipitation with this feature, ensemble guidance just doens't support it. So, expect cloudy skies and maybe a few flurries. If the short-wave exists quickly, clearing skies will allow for low clouds and fog to develop in the mountain valleys and passes. On Sunday, light westerly winds could keep low clouds pushed up against the western side of the Cascades. However, higher in the terrain and east of the crest expect mostly sunny skies and cool temperatures to result in a beautiful winter day.
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
Mostly sunny with passing high clouds mainly in the afternoon.
Saturday
Night
Mostly cloudy with a few flurries possible.
Saturday
Partly to mostly cloudy in the morning with a few isolated showers. Then mostly sunny with passing high clouds in the afternoon.
Saturday
Night
Mostly cloudy with a few flurries possible. Clearing skies could allow for low clouds and fog to develop.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy in the morning with a convergence zone mainly near I-90. Clearing with sunshine in the afternoon.
Saturday
Night
Mostly cloudy with a few flurries possible. Then, possible clearing with low clouds and fog developing.
Saturday
Cloudy and breezy in the morning with a few isolated showers possible. Becoming mostly sunny with decreasing winds.
Saturday
Night
Mostly cloudy in the evening with a few flurries. Then, clearing with the chance for low clouds and fog to develop.
Saturday
Cloudy and breezy with snow in the morning. Low clouds likely in the Pass most of the day, with clearing above. Light to moderate W winds decreasing.
Saturday
Night
Mostly cloudy in the evening with a few flurries possible. Then possible clearig with fog developing. Light W winds.
Saturday
Cloudy with a convergence zone in the morning. Moderate winds decreasing. Low clouds hanging near and west of the Pass most of the day with more sunshine and clearing above and east of the summit.
Saturday
Night
Mostly cloudy with a few flurries. Then clearing with fog and low clouds developing. Light W winds.
Saturday
Mostly sunny with a few isolated flurries possible this morning. Light to moderate but gusty winds decreasing.
Saturday
Night
Mostly cloudy in the evening with a few flurries possible. Then clearing with fog and low clouds developing.
Saturday
Cloudy near the crest in the morning with showers, mostly clear further east. Moderate and gusty winds decreasing during the day. Becoming mostly sunny.
Saturday
Night
Mostly cloudy with a few flurries possible in the evening. Then clearing with low clouds and fog developing. Light to moderate WNW winds decreasing.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy in the morning with a few isolated showers possible. Then becoming partly to mostly sunny. Moderate to strong and gusty winds decreasing.
Saturday
Night
Mostly cloudy in the evening with a few flurries possible. Then clearing likely with low clouds and fog developing. Light to moderate NW winds decreasing.
Saturday
Windy with snow showers. Precipitation heaviest in the morning. Strong and gusty winds decreasing in the afternoon. A few sunbreaks possible late in the day.
Saturday
Night
Cloudy in the evening with a few flurries possible. Then clearing above with low clouds and fog. Moderate and gusty NW winds decreasing.
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).