Enjoy one more day of the weather world's version of "Dry January" before the dampness returns tonight and for the rest of the work week. Upper-level ridging over western Washington will shift east of the Cascades today, giving way to continuous high and mid clouds spilling over the area. Freezing levels will be higher along the west slopes of the Cascades, Mt Hood, and Olympics today (6000-7000'), cooler along the east slopes of the Cascades (2000-4000'), and somewhere in between for the Cascade Passes thanks to cool offshore/easterly flow. Ridgelines near the Cascade crest may flirt with above-freezing temperatures at times.
Breezy winds will be felt along ridgelines (S-SE) and in the Passes (E) as the front approaches. Snow levels will come crashing down with the onset of precipitation later tonight, and we'll see a dusting to a few inches of new snow before daybreak tomorrow. A longwave upper level trough will pass through Wednesday morning with areas of light snow over the mountains, slightly heavier in the Mt Baker area.
We're transitioning to a more active weather pattern, but we may see a brief break in the steady precipitation on Wednesday afternoon, before a new wave of warm frontal precipitation arrives from the west later that afternoon or evening. This storm cycle will begin cool, but gradually warm as we push into Thursday and Friday.
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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Tuesday
Overcast. Moderate to occasionally strong ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy with periods of light rain and snow, becoming steadier after midnight. Moderate to strong ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Overcast. Moderate to occasionally strong ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy with a chance of light rain or snow in the evening, then light rain and snow after midnight. Moderate to occasionally strong ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Overcast. Light to moderate ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy with a chance of light rain or snow in the evening, then periods of light rain and snow after midnight. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Overcast. Cooler eastern part of the zone. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy with a chance of light rain or snow in the evening, then periods of light rain and snow after midnight. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Overcast. Milder west of the Pass. Light to moderate E winds at Pass level, and SE winds at ridgeline.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy with a chance of light rain or snow in the evening, then periods of light rain and snow after midnight. Light to moderate E winds at Pass level, and S winds at ridgeline.
Tuesday
Overcast. Milder west of the Pass. Moderate E winds at Pass level, and SE winds at ridgeline.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy with a chance of light rain or snow in the evening, then periods of light rain and snow after midnight. Moderate E winds at Pass level, and S winds at ridgeline.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy becoming overcast with thickening mid and high clouds today. Milder western part of the zone upper elevations. Light to moderate ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy, with a chance of light rain or snow after midnight. Light to moderate ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy becoming overcast with thickening mid and high clouds today. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy, with a chance of light rain or snow after midnight. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy becoming overcast with thickening mid and high clouds today. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy, with a chance of light rain or snow after midnight. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy becoming overcast with thickening mid and high clouds today. Moderate ridgeline winds.
Tuesday
Night
Cloudy, with a chance of light rain or snow after midnight. Moderate ridgeline winds increasing overnight.
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).