Northwest Daily Snow

Short Term Forecast

A ridge of high pressure will remain over the PNW on Friday-Saturday which will keep conditions dry throughout the region. However, some high-level moisture arriving will result in an uptick in cloud cover from later Friday through Saturday, though cloud bases will stay fairly high.

Temperatures will remain mild with highs in the mid 30s to low 40s at mid-mountain locations on both Friday and Saturday. As a result, spring skiing conditions can be expected with firm snow in the morning and softening snow in the afternoons.

On Sunday and Monday, a trough of low pressure will reach the California coast while back-to-back weaker disturbances will eject ahead of the main trough and move into the PNW from the south/southwest. Oregon will see snow showers arrive first on Sunday, before snow reaches Washington Sunday night. Snow showers can then be expected across the entire region on Monday.

Lingering moisture with winds ranging from southeast to northeast could result in additional snow showers on Tuesday and Wednesday as well.

There is still some uncertainty regarding the northern extent of the storm track, so keep up with our mountain-specific forecasts moving forward and note any changes or trends, and stay tuned for my next update on Sunday morning.

Here is the current outlook by region as of Friday morning...

Western Washington:

There is some uncertainty regarding the onset of snow shower activity on Sunday, as it could begin as early as Sunday afternoon or as late as Sunday evening. Rain and snow showers will initially begin across Southern Washington before reaching Northern Washington a few hours later.

Snow levels will initially start out as high as 4,500-5,000 feet on Sunday afternoon/evening with rain up to mid-mountain at many areas, before lowering to 3,000-3,500 feet later in the night. 

On Monday, snow levels will range from 3,000-4,000 feet, before lowering to 2,500-3,500 feet on Monday night.

Snow totals from Sunday through Monday night will generally range from 2-6 inches above 4,000 feet at ski resorts throughout the Cascades, and this includes Mission Ridge who will see some upslope southeasterly winds.

Snow showers will remain possible on Tuesday and Wednesday with snow levels gradually trending lower. Confidence is fairly low in how this snow shower activity will transpire, but generally speaking, snow amounts on Tuesday-Wednesday look a little bit lighter compared to Sunday-Monday.

Eastern Washington/Northern Idaho:

There is some uncertainty regarding the onset of snow shower activity, as it could begin as early as Sunday night or as late as Monday morning. Rain and snow showers will initially begin across Southeast Washington with lighter showers reaching Northeast Washington and Northern Idaho a few hours later.

Snow levels will generally range from 3,500-4,500 feet across Eastern Washington and around Schweitzer, while Silver and Lookout Pass will see snow levels in the 4,000-5,000 foot range. As a result, light rain will fall across lower portions of ski areas from time to time. 

Based on the current projected storm track, snow totals from Sunday night through Monday night should generally range from 2-6 inches at Bluewood, while all other areas will receive a trace to 2 inches. If the storm ends up trending further north at all, then higher totals will be a possibility for all areas.

Snow showers will remain possible on Tuesday and Wednesday with snow levels gradually trending lower. Confidence is fairly low in how this snow shower activity will transpire, but generally speaking, snow amounts on Tuesday-Wednesday look a little bit higher compared to Sunday-Monday.

Oregon:

Rain and snow showers will initially begin across Southern Oregon on Sunday morning before spreading into Northern Oregon by Sunday midday or Sunday afternoon.

Snow levels will initially start out as high as 4,500-5,500 feet on Sunday afternoon/evening with rain making an appearance across the lower slopes of some ski areas, before lowering to 3,000-4,000 feet later in the night. 

On Monday, snow levels will range from 2,500-3,500 feet, before lowering to 1,000-2,000 feet on Monday night.

Snow totals from Sunday through Monday night will generally range from 3-8 inches across both the Cascades and the Blue Mountains, and I would give southern areas (Bachelor, Willamette, Ashland) a slight edge in terms of seeing the deepest totals. 

Snow showers will remain possible on Tuesday and Wednesday with snow levels remaining low. Confidence is fairly low in how this snow shower activity will transpire, but generally speaking, snow amounts on Tuesday-Wednesday look a little bit lighter compared to Sunday-Monday.

Extended Forecast

An active pattern will continue late in the week with the next storm arriving from the west/northwest on Thursday-Friday (March 23rd-24th). While it's too early to get into specifics on amounts, this should result in more widespread snow compared to Tue-Wed and snow levels are also expected to remain low.

Looking further out, an active pattern is likely to continue through the end of March with frequent snow chances along with colder than average temperatures. As a result, snow levels should stay fairly low for the most part.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Sunday (March 19).

ALAN SMITH