Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
Weather Synopsis for Thursday & Friday
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 that skirted along the Washington Coast Wednesday night is still producing snow showers over Mt. Hood and to a lesser extent the SW Cascades this afternoon with a general clearing trend seen further over the Olympics, north and central Cascades. .
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 alpine 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: 3:32 PM 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
| Friday | Friday | |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ridge | LT 0.10 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | LT 0.10 | 0 - 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: 3:32 PM PST Thursday, February 22, 2018
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 15 - 30 | --- - | WSW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Night | W 25 - 35 | SW 10 - 20 | WSW 25 - 35 | --- - | W 35 - 45 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| 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 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 Afternoon | NW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 15 - 30 |
| Friday Night | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | --- - |
| Thursday Night | --- - |
| Friday Morning | --- - |
| Friday Afternoon | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| 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 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 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 Afternoon | NW 0 - 10 |
| Thursday Night | W 0 - 10 |
| Friday Morning | SW 10 - 20 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 15 - 30 |
| Friday Night | WSW 25 - 35 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | --- - |
| Thursday Night | --- - |
| Friday Morning | --- - |
| Friday Afternoon | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| 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 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 30 - 40 | WSW 35 - 45 | WSW 45 - 55 | --- - | W 40 - 50 |
| Friday Night | WSW 20 - 30 | W 20 - 30 | WSW 30 - 40 | --- - | W 40 - 50 |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | N 20 - 30 |
| Thursday Night | NW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Morning | W 20 - 30 |
| Friday Afternoon | SW 30 - 40 |
| Friday Night | WSW 20 - 30 |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | N 10 - 20 |
| Thursday Night | NW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Morning | W 15 - 25 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 35 - 45 |
| Friday Night | W 20 - 30 |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | N 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | NNW 15 - 30 |
| Friday Morning | WNW 25 - 35 |
| Friday Afternoon | WSW 45 - 55 |
| Friday Night | WSW 30 - 40 |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | --- - |
| Thursday Night | --- - |
| Friday Morning | --- - |
| Friday Afternoon | --- - |
| Friday Night | --- - |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Thursday Afternoon | NW 5 - 15 |
| Thursday Night | NNW 15 - 25 |
| Friday Morning | NW 25 - 35 |
| Friday Afternoon | W 40 - 50 |
| 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.
Issued: 3:32 PM PST Thursday, February 22, 2018
Extended Weather Synopsis for Friday night through Friday
Get ready for a snowy weekend beginning Friday night as fast moving systems impact the PNW in W-NW flow aloft. Cold temperatures will help maximize snowfall totals over this period.
Light to moderate snow showers Saturday morning will ramp down quickly during the day on Saturday. Westerly winds will also decrease by late morning over the area. However, weak ridging building overhead Saturday combined with onshore flow promises to keep plenty of clouds around even as shower activity becomes lighter.
Another system racing down in NW flow aloft will reach the area Saturday night; this one should bring slightly higher precipitation amounts and stronger winds as the jet stream sags south over the area. There will be a more pronounced warming trend with this system that is likely to peak Sunday morning. Once again the heaviest snow showers will linger longest in the Mt. Hood region as the trough digs south during the day Sunday.
Showers will slowly taper down but not end Sunday night, becoming more scattered on Monday as weak upper level ridging begins to build upstream to our north.
Extended Weather
Olympics, Washington Cascades and Mt. Hood Area
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | Snow Level | 0' - 1000' | 0' - 1000' | 500' - 1500' | |
| Saturday Night | Snow Level | 1000' - 2000' | 1000' - 2000' | 2000' - 3000' | |
| Sunday | Snow Level | 0' - 1000' | 0' - 1000' | 500' - 1500' | |
| Sunday Night | Snow Level | 0' - 0' | 0' - 0' | 0' - 0' | |
| Monday | Snow Level | 0' - 1000' | 0' - 1000' | 0' - 1000' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 1000' - 2000' |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 0' - 0' |
| Monday |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 1000' - 2000' |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 0' - 0' |
| Monday |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saturday |
Snow Level 500' - 1500' |
| Saturday Night |
Snow Level 2000' - 3000' |
| Sunday |
Snow Level 500' - 1500' |
| Sunday Night |
Snow Level 0' - 0' |
| Monday |
Snow Level 0' - 1000' |
* 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 Feb 22, 2018
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