MOUNTAIN WEATHER FORECAST

Stevens Pass Mountain Weather Forecast

Day and Time: 0800 Thursday

The Snapshot: Dry today with light rain returning tonight. The weekend is shaping up to be clear and dry with colder temperatures.  Snow next week? 

Current Observations:

Precipitation: .4” of rain fell since 8am yesterday morning.  

Pass temperature: 35

Winds: 5-15 W beginning to diminish

Barometer: holding steady @ 1024mb’s

Sky:  high overcast clouds

Radar: Light scattered showers along the western foothills.   

The Forecast:  Today will be mostly dry with the next round of rain entering the mountains after sunset tonight.  Light rain will taper off early tomorrow morning with dry and clear weather persisting through the weekend.

Long Range: Next week will start our warm and dry.  SNOW?  Models are in disagreement on the eventual cooler NW flow developing mid to late next week.   When, where and if snow will happen is still a big question.  Stay tuned as the intel becomes more reliable.

Note: Next weeks change, so far does not have significant moisture with it.  No storms stacking up for a NW storm cycle to develop – yet.

  

The Science: Some weak upper-level ridging amongst the westerly flow is the cause of the break in the precipitation today.   A cold front tracking down the BC coast will swing through our area late tonight.  Cooler unstable NW flow will fill in behind the front providing some mixed snow and rain for the Cascades Mountains.  

An interesting sharp high pressure ridge will build off of the western coast over the weekend.  This is interesting because it has an associated cold air trough developing along the eastern basin.  This will allow strong east/offshore flow to form which will bring in a cold air mass from the NE. 

Warmer SW flow will move in early next week, pushing freezing levels back into the 5000’ range.  NW flow with cooler unstable air is showing up on the long range models but the details and timing are still sketchy.     

Values from 4am today through

 4am tomorrow.

Precipitation: Today 24hr water:.25   snow: 0 Tomorrow’s 24hr water: .10  snow: 0 Trend and Timing: Light rain tonight with drying tomorrow.

Temperature: Low: 32    High: 40 Freezing level: 6000’- 5000’ Trend and Timing:    Freezing levels will remain high today and then begin to fall tonight.

Winds Base: 5-10 W Ridge Top: 5-15 W Trend and Timing: Winds will diminish today and turn easterly tomorrow night.