Weather Synopsis for Thursday night through Saturday

A bit of filtered sunshine graced some mountain locations this morning, but it was generally short-lived. The stacked low-pressure system offshore is spinning in some bands of light precipitation. Cloud cover has increased through the day and a spritz of light showers has begun in the southern zones and Mount Hood, on their way to the north. Precipitation should increase on both sides of the crest as we move into the overnight hours, with Stevens and Snoqualmie Passes a bit shadowed with the southerly flow. Temperatures have certainly moderated, generally reaching into the 30's and low 40's at 5000ft today. Snow levels will drop from 5000ft to 4000ft overnight.

On Friday, conditions stay showery and breezy in the mountains as the low-pressure center moves to the north and we are left in the trough. The cooling continues as snow levels drop further, down to 3500ft. The west slopes are favored for a bit more precipitation than those spots east of the crest. Though totals are modest by Cascades standards, middle and upper elevations in particular could see a nice refresh of the surface conditions. As the showers move in and out, filtered sunshine may be possible here and there, especially on the east side of the crest and south of I-90, though generally cloudy conditions should prevail.

Saturday, a final wave of very light and scattered showers favors the west slopes of the Cascades before a quick upper-ridge builds late afternoon. Snow levels hover in the 2500-3500ft range and precipitation totals look quite paltry, perhaps with the exception of the volcanoes.