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Weather Synopsis for Thursday & Wednesday
Another cold day is in store with northerly flow aloft and the Pacific Northwest sandwiched between strong upper level ridging offshore that extends into the Gulf of Alaska and broad upper level troughing over the West. A weak low pressure system skirted along the Washington Coast Wednesday night, producing 1-4" of light snow for the Olympics, central/south Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood. Snow showers will linger longest over Mt. Hood today.
Shortwave ridging will move over the area Thursday night providing a break in between weather systems. A pair of fast moving disturbances upstream along the Canadian coastline will spread snow over the region beginning in the Olympics and north Cascades Friday morning. Precipitation will fill in to the south during the day with clouds lowering. The second disturbance will bring light to moderate snow Friday night and a rapid increase in westerly winds, especially for the central Cascades and southward. Temperatures/snow levels will moderate slightly Friday afternoon and night.
Weather Forecast
Olympics
| Thursday | Mostly cloudy with light snow showers north slopes of the Olympics this morning becoming partly to mostly cloudy mid-day. |
| Thursday Night | Partly to mostly clear. |
| Friday | Light snow developing in the morning. Clouds lowering. Increasing winds in the afternoon. |
| Friday Night | Light to occasionally moderate snow. Windy. |
Washington Cascades near and west of the Crest including Stevens, Snoqualmie and White Passes
| Thursday | Mostly clear north. Mostly cloudy central and south with very light snow showers this morning becoming partly to mostly cloudy late this morning. |
| Thursday Night | Partly to mostly clear. |
| Friday | Light snow developing north Cascades in the morning and slowly spreading south during the day. Clouds lowering. Increasing winds in the afternoon. |
| Friday Night | Light to occasionally moderate snow. Windy, especially central and south Cascades. |
East Slopes of the Washington Cascades
| Thursday | Partly to mostly clear northeast. Cloudy central-east and southeast with very light snow showers this morning becoming partly cloudy mid-day. |
| Thursday Night | Partly to mostly clear. |
| Friday | Light snow developing northeast Cascades in the morning and slowly spreading south during the day. Clouds lowering. Increasing winds in the afternoon. |
| Friday Night | Light snow. Windy, especially central-east and southeast Cascades. |
Mt. Hood
| Thursday | Cloudy with light snow. |
| Thursday Night | Becoming partly cloudy. |
| Friday | Mostly cloudy with light snow developing in the afternoon. Clouds slowly lowering. Increasing winds in the afternoon. |
| Friday Night | Light to moderate snow. Windy. |
Issued: 7:48 AM PST Thursday, February 22, 2018
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Snow Level | 0' | 0' | 0' | ' | ' | 0' | ' | 0' |
| Thursday Night | Freezing Level | 0' | 0' | 0' | ' | ' | 0' | ' | 0' |
| Friday Morning | Snow Level | 0' | 0' | 0' | ' | ' | 0' | ' | 0' |
| Friday Afternoon | Snow Level | 500' | 0' | 0' | ' | ' | 0' | ' | 500' |
| Friday Night | Snow Level | 1000' | 0' | 0' | ' | ' | 500' | ' | 1500' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Snow Level 0' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 0' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 0' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 500' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 1000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Snow Level 0' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 0' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 0' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 0' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 0' |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Snow Level 0' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 0' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 0' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 0' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 0' |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Snow Level ' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level ' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level ' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Snow Level ' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level ' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level ' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Snow Level 0' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 0' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 0' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 0' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 500' |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Snow Level ' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level ' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level ' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level ' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level ' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
Snow Level 0' |
| Thursday Night |
Freezing Level 0' |
| Friday Morning |
Snow Level 0' |
| Friday Afternoon |
Snow Level 500' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level 1500' |
* 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
| Wednesday | Wednesday | |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ridge | LT 0.10 | 0 - 0.50 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | LT 0.10 | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Washington Pass | LT 0.10 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Stevens Pass | LT 0.10 | 0 - 0.50 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | LT 0.10 | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Mission Ridge | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 |
| Crystal Mt | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 |
| Paradise | LT 0.10 | 0 - 0.75 |
| White Pass | LT 0.10 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | LT 0.25 | 0 - 0.50 |
| Timberline | LT 0.25 | 0.50 - 0.75 |
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: 7:48 AM PST Thursday, February 22, 2018
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | NE 10 - 20 | NE 10 - 20 | E 0 - 10 | --- - | E 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | N 5 - 15 | NE 5 - 15 | NW 0 - 10 | --- - | E 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | NW 0 - 10 | SW 0 - 10 | W 0 - 10 | --- - | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | SW 5 - 15 | S 5 - 15 | SW 10 - 20 | --- - | W 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 20 - 30 | S 10 - 20 | SW 20 - 30 | --- - | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Night | W 25 - 35 | SW 10 - 20 | WSW 25 - 35 | --- - | W 35 - 45 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | NE 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | N 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | NW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Friday Night | W 25 - 35 |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | NE 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | NE 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | S 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | S 10 - 20 |
| Friday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | E 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | NW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 20 - 30 |
| Friday Night | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon | --- - |
| Thursday Night | --- - |
| Friday Morning | --- - |
| Friday Afternoon | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | E 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | E 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | W 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Night | W 35 - 45 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | NE 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | N 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | NW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | SW 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Friday Night | W 25 - 35 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | NE 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | NE 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | SW 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | S 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | S 10 - 20 |
| Friday Night | SW 10 - 20 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | E 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | NW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 20 - 30 |
| Friday Night | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon | --- - |
| Thursday Night | --- - |
| Friday Morning | --- - |
| Friday Afternoon | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | E 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | E 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | W 5 - 15 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Night | W 35 - 45 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | NNE 20 - 30 | N 10 - 20 | N 5 - 15 | --- - | WNW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | N 20 - 30 | N 10 - 20 | N 5 - 15 | --- - | NW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | NW 15 - 25 | NW 15 - 25 | NNW 15 - 30 | --- - | NNW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Morning | W 20 - 30 | W 15 - 25 | WNW 25 - 35 | --- - | NW 25 - 35 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 25 - 35 | WSW 30 - 40 | WSW 40 - 50 | --- - | W 35 - 45 |
| Friday Night | WSW 20 - 30 | W 20 - 30 | WSW 30 - 40 | --- - | W 40 - 50 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | NNE 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Afternoon | N 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Night | NW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Morning | W 20 - 30 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 25 - 35 |
| Friday Night | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | N 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Afternoon | N 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night | NW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Morning | W 15 - 25 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 30 - 40 |
| Friday Night | W 20 - 30 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | N 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Afternoon | N 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | NNW 15 - 30 |
| Friday Morning | WNW 25 - 35 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 40 - 50 |
| Friday Night | WSW 30 - 40 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | --- - |
| Thursday Afternoon | --- - |
| Thursday Night | --- - |
| Friday Morning | --- - |
| Friday Afternoon | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Morning | WNW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Afternoon | NW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | NNW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Morning | NW 25 - 35 |
| Friday Afternoon | W 35 - 45 |
| Friday Night | W 40 - 50 |
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.
Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k
Previous forecast from Feb 22, 2018
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.
748 AM Update: Corrected Precipitation Forecast.