Hello skiers and snowboarders,
A strong weather system will move into our region Monday into early Tuesday. Thus, many areas will get 12" + of new snowfall at 4000' for the 24 hours ending Tuesday morning (see map below). We should point out that snow levels will rise later in the day on Tuesday - going from 3000' on Tuesday morning to 4000' later in the afternoon. With that in mind, Monday might be a great day out, although there will be heavy snow at times, so visibility could be challenging. Of course, hitting the slopes early on Tuesday would also work.
One area of concern is that some models show an increase in the snow levels for Wednesday and Thursday. We can expect rain for the lower slopes on Wednesday. Because of increasing snow levels and abundant snowfall, please visit the Northwest Avalanche Center for updates on avalanche conditions before heading out.
Monday/Tuesday morning - 12"+ for Baker, Stevens Pass, Snoq Pass, and Crystal at 4000'. There will be some new snow at 3000 to 4000'
Tuesday late morning to Wednesday morning - up to 10 inches for the mid slopes and 10 to 20 inches for the upper slopes
Wednesday morning to Thursday morning - 5 to 10 inches for the upper slopes
Extended Outlook
The map below reflects the average surface temperature from Thursday afternoon December 19 through Tuesday afternoon December 24. Generally in Washington, average temperatures will be 2 degrees C (3.6 F) above normal. The pattern over this period has cold air and an area of low pressure on the East Coast. The West Coast has a ridge of high pressure at times and warmer air in place. Sadly, this pattern is not ideal for snow accumulation on our lower to mid slopes.
We do expect this pattern to change, and we will keep you posted. The map below reflects an extended outlook, which can certainly be subject to errors.
Prepared by Michael Fagin, Meteorologist
P.S. We can’t cover every ski area in every Powder Alert. For conditions at your resort, please check those resort links for conditions and the forecast.
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