MOUNTAIN WEATHER FORECAST

Time and Day:  0700 Wednesday

The Snapshot:   Today will start out dry with intermittent snow showers expected tonight – similar to yesterday. Snow showers with sun breaks will finish out the week with the weekend trending dry and partly sunny.  

The Science

Current Observations:  It is partly cloudy this morning with the 24hr stake reading 5” of new snow.   21 base / 26 ridges is the temperature profile. The barometer has dropped to 1010mb’s and the winds are light and westerly.  The wind blew fairly consistently through the night. (5-10mph – gusting in the 20’s)   This morning’s radar has dry and partly cloudy conditions over the mountains and the next frontal band of precipitation still a ways offshore.  

The Forecast:  With the main batch of moisture still offshore we should start to see light snow starting to fall around noon today.  The parent low-pressure trough will slide SSW today which will shift the flow at Stevens Pass to ESE.  Light to moderate bands precipitation will spin through the mountains for the next 24-36 hrs.   

The Long Range:   The weekend will be mostly dry with clear periods. 

24hr values daily 4am to 4am.

Precipitation: Today 24hr water: .25-.5   snow: 3-5 Tomorrow’s 24hr water: .25-.5  snow: 4-6 Trend and Timing: Moderate passing snow showers will be the precipitation game for the next few days.

Temperature: Low: 24    High: 30 Freezing level: +- 3500’ Trend and Timing:    The freezing levels will rise to+- 3500’ today and remain near that level through tomorrow.

Winds Base: 0-5 E Ridge Top: 0-10 SE Trend and Timing: Winds will shift easterly at the surface with SSE winds aloft today.