Mountain Weather Forecast
Jump to: Weather Forecast I Snow/Freezing Level I Precipitation I Free Winds 5k I Free Winds 9k I Extended Weather
Weather Synopsis for Tuesday night through Thursday
Scattered showers will continue through this afternoon and begin to taper down during the evening. We'll have a brief break in the wet weather as an upper level ridge quickly moves east over the area tonight. A deep low pressure system will spread warm frontal precipitation over the Olympics, south WA Cascades and Mt Hood area during the early morning hours, with precipitation spreading further inland around sunrise. A period of offshore flow and E-SE winds will have a subtle cooling effect, with snow levels starting over the Washington Cascades in the 2500-3000' range late tonight through tomorrow morning. Snow levels will gradually rise during the day, peaking in the 4000-4500' range in the afternoon, right around the time a weakening "cold" front pushes through the Cascades.
This isn't a powerful storm by winter standards but it will deliver a decent wallop for late March. We can expect 0.35"-1.00" of precipitation during the day tomorrow, with the Mt Baker area, the Crystal/Paradise/St Helens area, and Mt Hood receiving the higher totals in part due to the southerly orientation of the flow. Snowfall totals will be location and elevation dependent with rising snow levels. Above the rain/snow, look for 4-10" of new snow during the day Wednesday. We'll see strong winds over the Olympics and Mt Hood, and more moderate winds over the Cascades.
Showers will continue Wednesday night but they should be lighter. On Thursday, the weakening upper low will drift closer to our coast. An unstable air mass overhead will pave the way for afternoon convective showers over the mountains, with the most persistent showers reserved for the Olympic peninsula closer to the low. Some of the showers may be heavy at times and contain graupel.
Weather Forecast
Olympics
| Tuesday Night | Mostly cloudy with scattered light showers in the evening. Becoming cloudy with light rain and snow developing after midnight. Moderate ridgeline winds. |
| Wednesday | Light to moderate rain and snow, becoming mostly cloudy with light showers in the afternoon. Moderate to strong ridgeline winds. |
West North
| Tuesday Night | Mostly cloudy with scattered light showers tapering off in the evening. Becoming overcast with increasing high clouds overnight. Moderate ridgeline winds after midnight. |
| Wednesday | Moderate to occasionally heavy rain and snow. Moderate to strong ridgeline winds. |
West Central
| Tuesday Night | Mostly cloudy with scattered light showers tapering off in the evening. Becoming overcast with increasing high clouds overnight. Moderate ridgeline winds after midnight. |
| Wednesday | Light to moderate rain and snow. Moderate ridgeline winds. |
West South
| Tuesday Night | Mostly cloudy with scattered light showers in the evening. Becoming overcast with light rain and snow developing after midnight. Moderate ridgeline winds after midnight. |
| Wednesday | Light to moderate rain and snow, occasionally heavy on the volcanoes. Moderate ridgeline winds, occasionally strong Crystal Mt area. |
Stevens Pass
| Tuesday Night | Mostly cloudy with scattered light showers tapering off in the evening. Becoming overcast with increasing high clouds overnight. Light W Pass level winds and light to moderate W ridgeline winds becoming E-SE overnight. |
| Wednesday | Light to occasionally moderate rain and snow. Light to moderate E-SE Pass level and ridgeline winds becoming W-SW late. |
Snoqualmie Pass
| Tuesday Night | Mostly cloudy with scattered light showers tapering off in the evening. Becoming overcast with increasing high clouds overnight. Light W Pass level winds and light to moderate W ridgeline winds becoming E-SE overnight. |
| Wednesday | Light to moderate rain and snow. Moderate E-SE Pass level and ridgeline winds becoming W-SW late. |
East North
| Tuesday Night | Partly to mostly cloudy with isolated evening showers. Increasing high clouds overnight. |
| Wednesday | Light to occasionally moderate rain and snow developing during the morning. Moderate ridgeline winds. |
East Central
| Tuesday Night | Partly to mostly cloudy with isolated evening showers. Increasing high clouds overnight. Moderate ridgeline winds after midnight. |
| Wednesday | Light to occasionally moderate rain and snow. Moderate ridgeline winds. |
East South
| Tuesday Night | Partly to mostly cloudy with isolated evening showers. Becoming overcast with light rain and snow developing late tonight. Moderate ridgeline winds after midnight. |
| Wednesday | Light to occasionally moderate rain and snow. Moderate ridgeline winds. |
Mt. Hood
| Tuesday Night | Mostly cloudy with scattered light showers in the evening. Becoming overcast with light rain and snow developing after midnight. Moderate ridgeline winds. |
| Wednesday | Moderate to occasionally heavy rain and snow. Strong ridgeline winds. |
Issued: 2:23 PM 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 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' | 4500' | 4000' | None' | 5000' |
| Wednesday Evening | Snow Level | None' | None' | None' | None' | 3500' | 3500' | None' | 3500' |
| Wednesday Night | Snow Level | None' | None' | None' | None' | 3000' | 3000' | None' | 3000' |
| Thursday Morning | Snow Level | None' | None' | None' | None' | 3500' | 3500' | None' | 3500' |
| Thursday Afternoon | Snow Level | None' | None' | None' | None' | 4500' | 4500' | None' | 4500' |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Wednesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Wednesday Night |
Snow Level None' |
| Thursday Morning |
Snow Level None' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Wednesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Wednesday Night |
Snow Level None' |
| Thursday Morning |
Snow Level None' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Washington Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Wednesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Wednesday Night |
Snow Level None' |
| Thursday Morning |
Snow Level None' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Leavenworth | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Wednesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Wednesday Night |
Snow Level None' |
| Thursday Morning |
Snow Level None' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Stevens Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level 2500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level 2500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Wednesday Evening |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Wednesday Night |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Thursday Morning |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level 3000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level 2500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Wednesday Evening |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Wednesday Night |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Thursday Morning |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
| Mt. Rainier & Crystal | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level None' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Wednesday Evening |
Snow Level None' |
| Wednesday Night |
Snow Level None' |
| Thursday Morning |
Snow Level None' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level None' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening |
Snow Level 4000' |
| Tuesday Night |
Snow Level 4000' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Morning |
Snow Level 4500' (Easterly Flow *) |
| Wednesday Afternoon |
Snow Level 5000' |
| Wednesday Evening |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Wednesday Night |
Snow Level 3000' |
| Thursday Morning |
Snow Level 3500' |
| Thursday Afternoon |
Snow Level 4500' |
* 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 Night | Wednesday | Wednesday Night | Thursday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 pm - 5 am | 5 am - 5 pm | 5 pm - 5 am | 5 am - 5 pm | |
| Hurricane Ridge | LT 0.10 | 0.25 - 0.50 | LT 0.10 | 0.25 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | LT 0.10 | 1.00 | 0.25 | LT 0.25 |
| Mt. Loop - Barlow Pass | LT 0.10 | 0.50 - 0.75 | 0.25 | LT 0.25 |
| Stevens Pass | LT 0.10 | 0.25 - 0.50 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | LT 0.10 | 0.50 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.25 |
| Crystal Mt | LT 0.10 | 0.75 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.25 |
| Paradise | LT 0.25 | 0.75 - 1.00 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.25 |
| White Pass | LT 0.10 | 0.25 - 0.50 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 |
| Washington Pass | 0 | 0.25 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.25 |
| Mission Ridge | 0 | 0.25 - 0.50 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 |
| Salmon la Sac - Gallagher Head | LT 0.10 | 0.25 - 0.50 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 |
| Tieton River - Darland Mt. | LT 0.10 | 0.25 - 0.50 | LT 0.10 | LT 0.25 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | LT 0.25 | 0.75 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.25 |
| Timberline | LT 0.25 | 0.75 - 1.00 | LT 0.25 | LT 0.25 |
| Hurricane Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Thursday | 0.25 |
| Mt Baker Ski Area | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 1.00 |
| Wednesday Night | 0.25 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Mt. Loop - Barlow Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.50 - 0.75 |
| Wednesday Night | 0.25 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Stevens Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.50 |
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Crystal Mt | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.75 |
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Paradise | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Wednesday | 0.75 - 1.00 |
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| White Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Washington Pass | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 |
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Mission Ridge | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | 0 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Salmon la Sac - Gallagher Head | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Tieton River - Darland Mt. | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Wednesday | 0.25 - 0.50 |
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.10 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Mt Hood Meadows | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Wednesday | 0.75 |
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Thursday | LT 0.25 |
| Timberline | Precipitation Forecast |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Wednesday | 0.75 - 1.00 |
| Wednesday Night | LT 0.25 |
| Thursday | 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: 2:23 PM PST Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Free Winds at 5000' (mph)
| Hurricane Ridge | Mt. Baker | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | SW None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | WSW None - None |
| Hurricane Ridge | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Mt. Rainier | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | WSW None - None |
| Tuesday Night | SW None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | SW None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | WSW None - None |
| Hurricane Ridge | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | WSW None - None |
| Tuesday Night | SW None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | SW None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | WSW 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.
Free Winds at 9000' (mph)
| Mt. Baker | Washington Pass | Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Rainier | Mt. Hood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None | --- None - None |
| Mt. Baker | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Washington Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Mt. Rainier | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- None - None |
| Mt. Hood | Direction - Speed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Evening | --- None - None |
| Tuesday Night | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Morning | --- None - None |
| Wednesday Afternoon | --- 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.
Issued: 2:23 PM PST Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Extended Weather Synopsis for Thursday night through Saturday
The upper low will pull south along the coast Thursday night and showers should taper off. On Friday, a longwave upper level trough extending from the Canadian Prairies and over the PNW will once again lead to an uptick in afternoon showers. However, the shower activity looks more muted and freezing levels should bump up a notch into 4500-5500' range. We'll be in dry northerly flow on Saturday. There's a slight chance of an afternoon shower, but Saturday will be mostly dry and milder overall. The mild and dry trend will continue through the weekend.
Extended Snow/Freezing Levels
| Mt. Baker | Snoqualmie Pass | Mt. Hood | Easterly Flow * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Night | Snow Level | None' - None' | None' - None' | None' - None' | |
| Friday | Snow Level | None' - None' | None' - None' | None' - None' | |
| Friday Night | Snow Level | None' - None' | None' - None' | None' - None' | |
| Saturday | Snow Level | None' - None' | None' - None' | None' - None' |
| Mt. Baker | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level None' - None' |
| Friday |
Snow Level None' - None' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level None' - None' |
| Saturday |
Snow Level None' - None' |
| Snoqualmie Pass | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level None' - None' |
| Friday |
Snow Level None' - None' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level None' - None' |
| Saturday |
Snow Level None' - None' |
| Mt. Hood | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Thursday Night |
Snow Level None' - None' |
| Friday |
Snow Level None' - None' |
| Friday Night |
Snow Level None' - None' |
| Saturday |
Snow Level None' - None' |
* 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 March 26, 2024
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