MOUNTAIN WEATHER FORECAST

Stevens Pass Mountain Weather Forecast

Day and Time: Friday 0700

The Snapshot:   Cool, clear and dry weather develops today and continues into next week.  There will be a chance of snow mid to late next week. – See next week’s storm below.

Current Observations:

Precipitation: .17” of rain fell overnight.  

Pass temperature: 37

Winds: 5-10 W

Barometer: 1019mb and rising

Sky: Partly cloudy

Radar: Light scattered rain shower are falling along the western slopes of the southern Cascades.

The Forecast:  The sun will make and appearance today with dry and clear weather continuing through the weekend.  Cold air will filter in tonight with early morning temperatures falling into the mid to low 20’s.  

Long Range:  This dry, clear weather will continue through at least Wednesday.   Warm air moves in on Monday with freezing levels pushing back up to 6000’.  The high pressure system will keep most of the incoming moisture at bay through at least Wednesday.   

The Science: The anticipated high pressure ridge has begun to move over the PNW.  Barometric pressures are on the rise with the atmosphere beginning to stabilize.  The large cold air mass dropping into central Montana coupled with the high pressure developing off PNW will create a strong off shore flow gradient today.   This is the mechanism for the cold temperatures expected tonight and tomorrow night.    Warm southerly flow will erode the cold air on Monday and Tuesday pushing temperature back up above freezing for a few days.

Next’s week snow:  

Eyes then turn to a strengthening low pressure system developing in the Gulf of Alaska.  Long range models are just starting to align with some large scale concepts.  There will a chance of a few inches of mountain snow late Wednesday night into Thursday morning. 

The larger storm is expected to hit Thursdays night/ Friday for additional snow.  This is a very long ways out, so specifics such as snow accumulation amounts and freezing levels are still very much in question.  It is prudent to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday for better confidence in the models.     

  

Values from 4am today through

 4am tomorrow.

Precipitation: Today 24hr water: .10  snow: 0 Tomorrow’s 24hr water: 0  snow:0 Trend and Timing: Light rain ends this morning with dry weather persisting through the weekend.

Temperature: Low: 24    High: 40 Freezing level: 5000’-3000’ Trend and Timing:    Freezing levels will fall today and bottom out +-3000’ early tomorrow morning.

Winds Base: 5-10 E Ridge Top: 5-15 E Trend and Timing: East flow will develop and strengthen today.