Makin' the sacrifice and heading to Europe
This is for all you PNW folks that have "suffered" through the past few weeks of not-completely-epic conditions. It sounds like it could get pretty good about the time I get off the plane in Lyon. And I'll be gone for about seven weeks, so your March-April should remain good. See you at Baker on closing weekend!
That is all.
Increasing high level moisture ahead of the first moderate
frontal system should spread over the Olympics and Cascades mid-
late Tuesday afternoon and evening, with clouds lowering in the
Olympics and north-central Cascades Wednesday morning and light
rain or snow likely later Wednesday morning. This precipitation
should increase and spread southward Wednesday afternoon along
with moderate to strong ridgetop winds and only a slight rise in
freezing levels. Following the front Wednesday evening, moderate
to heavy snow should become more showery, with moderate to heavy
showers likely later Wednesday night and early Thursday. However,
with the mid and upper lows expected to move eastward across
south-central Washington late Wednesday through early Thursday,
this should bring heaviest precipitation in the south-central
Cascades and Mt Hood area. Weak short wave ridging should bring
briefly decreasing light to moderate showers later Thursday
morning and early afternoon. However, a second stronger trough
and surface frontal system should bring increasing clouds
Thursday afternoon, with moderate rain or snow reaching the
Olympics during the afternoon and light to moderate rain or snow
arriving in the Cascades later Thursday afternoon and evening.
Moderate to heavy rain or snow, strong winds and slightly rising
freezing levels are expected Thursday night and early Friday
before decreasing and becoming more showery Friday morning.
However, strong westerly flow should combine with significant
instability showers and several associated upper and surface
troughs to produce heavy orographic snowfall for much of Friday,
with locally heavy accumulations expected. Weak flat ridging is
expected to result in decreasing showers late Friday, but another
moderate trough should bring further moderate to occasionally
heavy rain or snow on Saturday along with strengthening winds and
briefly rising freezing levels.
EXTENDED WEATHER FORECAST ...WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...
Clouds lowering with light rain or snow developing Olympics and
north Cascades early-mid Wednesday, increasing and spreading
southward Wednesday afternoon. Moderate to heavy rain or snow
late Wednesday. Moderate to heavy showers Wednesday night,
heaviest south, gradually decreasing later Thursday morning.
Light showers briefly decreasing mid-day Thursday, but light rain
or snow increasing later Thursday becoming moderate to heavy
Thursday night and early Friday with strong winds. Windy with
heavy orographic snowfall likely Friday, slowly decreasing late.
SNOW LEVELS
1-3000 ft N, 2-4000 ft S Wednesday
1-3000 ft N and S early Thursday
1-3000 N, 2-4000 ft S late Thursday and early Friday
1-3000 ft N and S mid-late Friday...except snow levels
locally near the surface Cascade passes and east slopes
Wednesday, rising to near free air levels late Wednesday,
lowering to near the surface again mid-late Thursday, rising to
near free air levels Friday morning
