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 & Friday
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. |
| Sunday Night |
Increasing high clouds. |
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. |
| Sunday Night |
Increasing high clouds in the northwest. Increasing mid and high clouds with light rain or snow possible after midnight in the central west and southwest. |
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. |
| Sunday Night |
Increasing high clouds in the northeast. Increasing mid and high clouds with light rain or snow possible after midnight in the central east and southeast. |
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. |
| Sunday Night |
Increasing mid and high clouds with light to moderate rain or snow possible after midnight. |
Issued: 1:39 PM PDT Saturday, April 15, 2017
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' |
| Sunday Night | Snow Level | 5000' | 4000' | 4000' | ' | ' | 4500' | ' | 5000' |
| 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
| Friday | Friday | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Timberline | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 |
LT = less than; WE or Water equivalent is the liquid water equivalent of melted snow in hundredths of inches. As a rough approximation 1 inch of snow = about .10 inches WE, or 10 inches of snow = about 1 inch WE.
Issued: 1:39 PM PDT Saturday, April 15, 2017
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 |
| Sunday Night | S 5 - 15 | VAR 0 - 10 | W 5 - 15 | --- - | W 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 |
| Sunday Night | SW 10 - 20 | SW 10 - 20 | W 10 - 20 | --- - | W 15 - 25 |
| 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 |
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.
Issued: 1:39 PM PDT Saturday, April 15, 2017
Extended Weather Synopsis for Friday night through Friday
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
Light showers mainly south Cascades temporarily decreasing.
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 * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday - Wednesday | Snow Level | 3500' - 5500' | 4000' - 6000' | 4500' - 6500' |
| 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.