Mountain Weather Forecast

3 day outlook: Sunday thru Tuesday

The Snapshot: Light snow and cool temperatures today, sunny and warm Monday and Tuesday.

The Science: Cool air aloft and strong NW upper level flow is providing a brief return to winter with 2” of snow and temperatures in the low 20’s Sunday morning. The upper trough should move east during the day, allowing for light snow showers and blustery winds. Skies will clear Sunday afternoon and evening.

A high pressure ridge will build in amplitude Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures will start out cool Monday morning but rise significantly during the day. Tuesday should be a beautiful, warm spring day with freezing levels reaching 6,000’ or more and surface temperatures at Stevens Pass reaching the high 40’s!

The Long Range:  By Wednesday the ridge will be drifting east, allowing a low pressure center in the Pacific to direct increasingly strong SSW upper level flow over the PNW. Increasing clouds will be seen Wednesday, as well as continued warm temperatures. Freezing levels should remain around 6,000. Currently Wednesday looks dry for Stevens Pass, but with warm moderate to heavy rain on the coast. We’ll see if the details change in the next few days. Thursday could have mixed precip at Stevens, with another cool trough looking possible for next weekend and a return to snow. Ah, Spring. 

24hr Precipitation ending at 4am: Today 24hr water = >.25  snow = 1-2” Tomorrow’s 24hr water = 0 snow = 0 Trend and Timing: Light snow showers will end Sunday midday. No precipitation is expected Monday or Tuesday.

24hr temperature ending at 4am:  Low: 23    High: 30 Freezing level: 2500’-6000’ Trend and Timing:    Sunday will remain unseasonably cool most of the day. As high pressure builds Monday, freezing levels will rise to around 5,000+, peaking Tuesday afternoon above 6,000.

Winds Sunday-Tuesday: Base: W 10-15 Sunday, light and variable Monday/Tuesday Ridge Top: WNW 30-40 and gusty Sunday morning, tapering off Sunday afternoon. Generally westerly and light Monday/Tuesday. Trend and Timing: Sunday morning is providing gusty moderate winds in the 40’s. These should ease off as the trough moves east Sunday afternoon. Winds will shift from NW-W-SW thru Tuesday generally in the 10-15 mph range.