Issued: 1:39 PM PDT Saturday, April 15, 2017
by Garth Ferber

Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather

Weather Synopsis for Saturday & Monday

An west to east oriented upper trough and cool slightly unstable air mass lingered over the International border on Friday. NWAC stations near and west of the crest in the Cascades and at Mt Hood had another 1-6 inches of snow above the levels of Stevens and Snoqualmie Passes for the 24 hours ending Saturday morning.

The very weak upper trough will slide to the east along the International border on Saturday. Minor convergence lingered over the northwest Cascades through Saturday morning.

A temporary upper ridge and drier air mass will move across the Northwest Saturday night and Sunday and bring a break in the weather pattern.

A very weak upper trough should move mainly across Oregon on Sunday night. This should cause some high clouds to spread to the south Cascades Sunday afternoon and some precipitation to spread to the south Cascades mainly after midnight.

Weather Forecast

Olympics
Saturday Afternoon

Mostly cloudy with scattered showers.

Saturday Night

Partly or mostly clear.

Sunday

Partly or mostly sunny.

Washington Cascades near and west of the crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie, and White Passes
Saturday Afternoon

Mostly cloudy with scattered showers in the northwest. A mix of sun and clouds with isolated showers in the central west and southwest.

Saturday Night

Partly or mostly clear.

Sunday

Partly or mostly sunny.

East slopes of the Washington Cascades
Saturday Afternoon

Partly cloudy with scattered showers higher elevations in the northeast. Partly or mostly sunny with isolated showers higher elevations in the central east and southeast.

Saturday Night

Partly or mostly clear.

Sunday

Mostly sunny.

Mt. Hood Area
Saturday Afternoon

Partly or mostly sunny.

Saturday Night

Partly or mostly clear.

Sunday Morning

Partly or mostly sunny.

Sunday Afternoon

Increasing high clouds.

Snow/Freezing Level (ft)

Hurricane Ridge Mt. Baker Washington Pass Leavenworth Stevens Pass Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass Mt. Hood
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level 3500' 3500' 4000' ' ' 4000' ' 4500'
Saturday Night - Sunday Morning Freezing Level * 4000' 3500' 2500' ' ' 4000' ' 5500'
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level * 5500' 5500' 5500' ' ' 6000' ' 6500'
Hurricane Ridge Elevation
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
3500'
Saturday Night - Sunday Morning Freezing Level
4000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
5500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Snow Level
5000'
Mt. Baker Elevation
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
3500'
Saturday Night - Sunday Morning Freezing Level
3500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
5500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Snow Level
4000'
Washington Pass Elevation
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
4000'
Saturday Night - Sunday Morning Freezing Level
2500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
5500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Snow Level
4000'
Leavenworth Elevation
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
'
Saturday Night - Sunday Morning Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Snow Level
'
Stevens Pass Elevation
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
'
Saturday Night - Sunday Morning Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Snow Level
'
Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
4000'
Saturday Night - Sunday Morning Freezing Level
4000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
6000'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Snow Level
4500'
Mt. Rainier & Crystal Elevation
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
'
Saturday Night - Sunday Morning Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Snow Level
'
Mt. Hood Elevation
Saturday Afternoon Snow Level
4500'
Saturday Night - Sunday Morning Freezing Level
5500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Afternoon Freezing Level
6500'
(Easterly Flow *)
Sunday Night Snow Level
5000'

* Easterly flow in the Cascade Passes can cause locally lower Snow or Freezing levels than areas further west.
Freezing Level is when no precipitation is forecast.

Precipitation Forecast

Monday Monday
Hurricane Ridge LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Mt Baker Ski Area LT 0.25 LT 0.10
Washington Pass LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Stevens Pass LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Snoqualmie Pass LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Mission Ridge LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Crystal Mt LT 0.10 LT 0.10
Paradise LT 0.10 LT 0.25
White Pass LT 0.10 LT 0.25
Mt Hood Meadows LT 0.10 LT 0.25
LT 0.10 LT 0.25

Free Winds at 5000' (mph)

Hurricane Ridge Mt. Baker Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Rainier Mt. Hood
Saturday Afternoon VAR 0 - 10 VAR 0 - 10 VAR 0 - 10 --- - VAR 0 - 10
Saturday Night E 10 - 20 E 5 - 15 E 10 - 20 --- - E 15 - 25
Sunday Morning - Sunday Afternoon ESE 15 - 25 ESE 10 - 20 ESE 15 - 25 --- - ESE 15 - 25
Hurricane Ridge Elevation
Saturday Afternoon VAR 0 - 10
Saturday Night E 10 - 20
Sunday Morning - Sunday Afternoon ESE 15 - 25
Sunday Night S 5 - 15
Mt. Baker Elevation
Saturday Afternoon VAR 0 - 10
Saturday Night E 5 - 15
Sunday Morning - Sunday Afternoon ESE 10 - 20
Sunday Night VAR 0 - 10
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Saturday Afternoon VAR 0 - 10
Saturday Night E 10 - 20
Sunday Morning - Sunday Afternoon ESE 15 - 25
Sunday Night W 5 - 15
Mt. Rainier Elevation
Saturday Afternoon --- -
Saturday Night --- -
Sunday Morning - Sunday Afternoon --- -
Sunday Night --- -
Mt. Hood Elevation
Saturday Afternoon VAR 0 - 10
Saturday Night E 15 - 25
Sunday Morning - Sunday Afternoon ESE 15 - 25
Sunday Night W 15 - 25
Hurricane Ridge Direction - Speed
Saturday Afternoon VAR 0 - 10
Saturday Night E 10 - 20
Sunday Morning - Sunday Afternoon ESE 15 - 25
Sunday Night S 5 - 15
Mt. Baker Direction - Speed
Saturday Afternoon VAR 0 - 10
Saturday Night E 5 - 15
Sunday Morning - Sunday Afternoon ESE 10 - 20
Sunday Night VAR 0 - 10
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Direction - Speed
Saturday Afternoon VAR 0 - 10
Saturday Night E 10 - 20
Sunday Morning - Sunday Afternoon ESE 15 - 25
Sunday Night W 5 - 15
Mt. Rainier Direction - Speed
Saturday Afternoon --- -
Saturday Night --- -
Sunday Morning - Sunday Afternoon --- -
Sunday Night --- -
Mt. Hood Direction - Speed
Saturday Afternoon VAR 0 - 10
Saturday Night E 15 - 25
Sunday Morning - Sunday Afternoon ESE 15 - 25
Sunday Night W 15 - 25

Directions above indicate the direction the wind blows from on the 16-point cardinal scale. These winds indicate "free" winds, or those winds in the atmosphere not influenced by terrain. Topographical effects may produce greater or lower wind speeds in certain locations as well as significant variations in direction.

Free Winds at 9000' (mph)

Mt. Baker Washington Pass Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Rainier Mt. Hood
Saturday Afternoon VAR 0 - 10 VAR 0 - 10 VAR 0 - 10 --- - SW 10 - 20
Saturday Night SSE 5 - 15 SSE 51 - 5 S 5 - 15 --- - SSW 10 - 20
Sunday Morning SSE 10 - 20 SSE 10 - 20 S 15 - 25 --- - S 20 - 30
Sunday Afternoon S 15 - 25 S 15 - 25 S 20 - 30 --- - S 25 - 35
Mt. Baker Direction - Speed
Saturday Afternoon VAR 0 - 10
Saturday Night SSE 5 - 15
Sunday Morning SSE 10 - 20
Sunday Afternoon S 15 - 25
Sunday Night SW 10 - 20
Washington Pass Direction - Speed
Saturday Afternoon VAR 0 - 10
Saturday Night SSE 51 - 5
Sunday Morning SSE 10 - 20
Sunday Afternoon S 15 - 25
Sunday Night SW 10 - 20
Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass Direction - Speed
Saturday Afternoon VAR 0 - 10
Saturday Night S 5 - 15
Sunday Morning S 15 - 25
Sunday Afternoon S 20 - 30
Sunday Night W 10 - 20
Mt. Rainier Direction - Speed
Saturday Afternoon --- -
Saturday Night --- -
Sunday Morning --- -
Sunday Afternoon --- -
Sunday Night --- -
Mt. Hood Direction - Speed
Saturday Afternoon SW 10 - 20
Saturday Night SSW 10 - 20
Sunday Morning S 20 - 30
Sunday Afternoon S 25 - 35
Sunday Night W 15 - 25

Extended Weather Synopsis for Monday night through Monday

The very weak upper trough should move off to the east on Monday and any light showers should temporarily decrease on Monday.

But yet another large upper trough will become established over the Northwest coastal waters late Monday through Wednesday. More fronts and showers will rotate out of the trough and over the Olympics and Cascades with low snow levels for this time of year.

Extended Weather

Olympics, Washington Cascades, Mt Hood
Monday

Light showers mainly south Cascades temporarily decreasing.

Monday Night - Wednesday

Periods of mostly light to moderate rain or snow and showers heaviest on the volcanoes. Brief periods of moderate to heavy rain or snow and showers can't be ruled out on the volcanoes. Low snow levels for this time of year.

Extended Snow/Freezing Levels

Mt. Baker Snoqualmie Pass Mt. Hood Easterly Flow *
Mt. Baker Elevation
Monday - Wednesday Snow Level
3500' - 5500'
Snoqualmie Pass Elevation
Monday - Wednesday Snow Level
4000' - 6000'
Mt. Hood Elevation
Monday - Wednesday Snow Level
4500' - 6500'

* Easterly flow in the Cascade Passes can cause locally lower Snow or Freezing levels than areas further west.
Freezing Level is when no precipitation is forecast.

Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather

Previous forecast from Apr 15, 2017

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.

NWAC Spring Forecast Schedule

The NWAC will issue daily mountain weather and avalanche forecasts through Saturday, April 15th. Mountain weather and avalanche forecasts will be issued during the spring transition April 20-22nd and April 27-29th. Weekend outlooks will be issued Thursdays, May 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th.

Special advisories, watches and warnings will be issued throughout the spring for unusual or dangerous avalanche conditions. You can find out what constitutes a special advisory, watch or warning here.