Mountain Weather Forecast
Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I
Weather Synopsis for Tuesday & Wednesday
Showers in brisk westerly flow will continue this morning with locally heavier showers near Mt Hood and near areas of convergence along the west slopes of the Cascades from I-90 and north through Whatcom County. The convergence zone(s) will drift north and weaken through mid-day. This morning's heaviest accumulations will fall over the western sections of the Cascades in Whatcom/Skagit and Snohomish Counties as well as Mt Hood, where an additional 3-6" of snow may fall. We'll see lighter accumulations elsewhere.
Showers will become scattered and lighter this afternoon. Low clouds will stick along the Olympics, Mt Hood area, and the west slopes of the Cascades and Passes but there will be sunbreaks. You won't have to travel too far east of the Cascade crest to find much sunnier skies Tuesday afternoon along with slightly higher freezing levels.
We'll have a brief reprieve tonight as upper level ridging passes inland. A stronger frontal system will start to spread warm frontal precipitation inland during the morning hours. Cool easterly flow will help nudge snow levels down to 2500' across much of the Washington Cascades at the onset of precipitation Wednesday morning. Snow levels will inch up during the day, and pop around 4000-4500' in the late afternoon as a weakening cold front pushes through. Precipitation amounts look to be in the 0.25-0.75" range during the day, with the highest totals likely for Mt Hood, Crystal/Paradise and the Mt Baker area. Mt Hood will be the windiest and mildest location during this storm.
Weather Forecast
Olympics
| Tuesday | Cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers, becoming partly to mostly cloudy with isolated showers in the afternoon. |
| Tuesday Night | Mostly cloudy with increasing high clouds in the evening. Then cloudy with light rain and snow developing late tonight. Moderate ridgeline winds. |
West North
| Tuesday | Cloudy light to occasionally moderate rain and snow showers this morning, becoming mostly cloudy with sunbreaks and scattered light showers in the afternoon. |
| Tuesday Night | Mostly cloudy with increasing high clouds overnight. Moderate ridgeline winds after midnight. |
West Central
| Tuesday | Cloudy light to occasionally moderate rain and snow showers this morning, becoming mostly cloudy with sunbreaks and scattered light showers in the afternoon. Moderate ridgeline winds. |
| Tuesday Night | Mostly cloudy with increasing high clouds overnight. |
West South
| Tuesday | Cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers this morning, becoming mostly cloudy with sunbreaks and isolated light showers in the afternoon. Moderate ridgeline winds. |
| Tuesday Night | Partly to mostly cloudy with increasing high clouds in the evening. Then cloudy with light rain and snow developing late tonight. Moderate ridgeline winds after midnight. |
Stevens Pass
| Tuesday | Cloudy light to occasionally moderate rain and snow showers this morning, becoming mostly cloudy with sunbreaks and scattered light showers in the afternoon. Moderate ridgeline and Pass level W winds. |
| Tuesday Night | Mostly cloudy. Light E Pass level winds and light to moderate S-SE ridgeline winds. |
Snoqualmie Pass
| Tuesday | Cloudy light to occasionally moderate rain and snow showers this morning, becoming mostly cloudy with sunbreaks and scattered light showers in the afternoon. Moderate ridgeline and Pass level W winds. |
| Tuesday Night | Mostly cloudy with increasing high clouds overnight. Light E Pass level winds and light to moderate S-SE ridgeline winds. |
East North
| Tuesday | Mostly cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers this morning, becoming partly to mostly sunny this afternoon. Cloudier near the Cascade crest. Moderate ridgeline winds. |
| Tuesday Night | Partly to mostly cloudy with increasing high clouds overnight. |
East Central
| Tuesday | Mostly cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers this morning, becoming partly to mostly sunny this afternoon. Cloudier near the Cascade crest. Moderate ridgeline winds. |
| Tuesday Night | Partly to mostly cloudy with increasing high clouds overnight. Moderate ridgeline winds after midnight. |
East South
| Tuesday | Mostly cloudy with scattered light rain and snow showers this morning, becoming partly to mostly sunny this afternoon. Cloudier near the Cascade crest. Moderate ridgeline winds. |
| Tuesday Night | Partly to mostly cloudy with increasing high clouds in the evening. Then cloudy with light rain and snow developing late tonight. Moderate ridgeline winds after midnight. |
Mt. Hood
| Tuesday | Cloudy light to occasionally moderate rain and snow showers this morning, becoming mostly cloudy with sunbreaks and scattered light showers in the afternoon. Strong ridgeline winds becoming moderate in the afternoon. |
| Tuesday Night | Partly to mostly cloudy with increasing high clouds in the evening. Then cloudy with light rain and snow developing late tonight. Moderate ridgeline winds. |
Issued: 7:05 AM PST Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Snow/Freezing Level (ft)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Leavenworth | Stevens Pass | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier, Crystal & White Pass | Mt. Hood | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning | Snow Level | None' | None' | None' | None' | 3000' | 3000' | None' | 3500' |
| Tuesday Afternoon | Snow Level | None' | None' | None' | None' | 4000' | 3500' | None' | 4500' |
| Tuesday Evening | Snow Level | None' | None' | None' | None' | 3000' | 3000' | None' | 4000' |
| Tuesday Night | Snow Level* | None' | None' | None' | None' | 2500' | 3000' | None' | 4000' |
| Wednesday Morning | Snow Level* | None' | None' | None' | None' | 2500' | 2500' | None' | 4500' |
| Wednesday Afternoon | Snow Level | None' | None' | None' | None' | 4000' | 4000' | None' | 5000' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level 2500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level 2500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level 3000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level 2500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Tuesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
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
| Tuesday | Tuesday Night | Wednesday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 am - 5 pm | 5 pm - 5 am | 5 am - 5 pm | |
| Hurricane Ridge | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | 0.25 | 0 | 0.75 - 1.00 |
| Mt. Loop - Barlow Pass | 0.25 - 0.50 | 0 | 0.50 |
| Stevens Pass | 0.25 | 0 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | 0.25 | 0 | 0.50 |
| Crystal Mt | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 | 0.75 |
| Paradise | LT 0.25 | LT 0.10 | 0.75 |
| White Pass | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Washington Pass | LT 0.10 | 0 | 0.25 |
| Mission Ridge | 0 | 0 | 0.25 |
| Salmon la Sac - Gallagher Head | LT 0.25 | 0 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Tieton River - Darland Mt. | LT 0.10 | LT 0.10 | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | 0.25 | LT 0.10 | 0.75 |
| Timberline | 0.25 - 0.50 | LT 0.10 | 0.75 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | LT 0.10 |
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 0.25 |
| Tuesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.75 - 1.00 |
| Mt. Loop - Barlow Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Tuesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.50 |
| Stevens Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 0.25 |
| Tuesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 0.25 |
| Tuesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.50 |
| Crystal Mt | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | LT 0.10 |
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.75 |
| Paradise | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | LT 0.25 |
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.75 |
| White Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | LT 0.10 |
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Washington Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | LT 0.10 |
| Tuesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 |
| Mission Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 0 |
| Tuesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 |
| Salmon la Sac - Gallagher Head | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | LT 0.25 |
| Tuesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Tieton River - Darland Mt. | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | LT 0.10 |
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 0.25 |
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.75 |
| Timberline | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 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: 7:05 AM PST Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | W None - None |
| Tuesday Afternoon | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | W None - None |
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | WSW None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | SW None - None |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning | W None - None |
| Tuesday Afternoon | W None - None |
| Tuesday Evening | WSW None - None |
| Tuesday Night | SW None - None |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Morning | W None - None |
| Tuesday Afternoon | W None - None |
| Tuesday Evening | WSW None - None |
| Tuesday Night | SW None - None |
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
Previous forecast from March 25, 2024
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.