Mild and mostly sunny through early Wednesday❄️Snow (1-2") by Thursday
- Andrea Hamilton
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Hello skiers and snowboarders,
A ridge of high pressure will be in place through Wednesday morning so we are expecting sunny and mild conditions. Great spring skiing will be the rule!
On Wednesday afternoon, cool air will move in from the northeast, bringing light snow for late Wednesday and into early Thursday. The map below reflects this with 1" for many of our ski resorts. 49 Degrees North and Silver Mt might get up to 2". These totals are for the mid-slopes.
Make sure to check out our extended outlook below.
HIGHLIGHTS
Monday - Mostly sunny with a few clouds
Tuesday - Mostly sunny with a few clouds
Wednesday p.m. to Thursday a.m. - 1 to 2" mid-slopes
SLOPES - Elevation General Guidelines
Lower Slopes - Under 4000'
Mid-Slopes - 4000 to 5500'
Upper-Slopes - Above 5500'
The map below is cumulative snow through Thursday morning.
Prepared by Michael Fagin, Meteorologist.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK: Friday, April 18 to Sunday, April 20
A ridge of high pressure is briefly in place over the period, so mild conditions on Friday and Saturday. The graph below reflects the general conditions for our ski resorts. On Saturday night, and more likely on Sunday, a cold front moves in with a chance of snow. We will update on Friday, April 18, including possible snow amounts.
Accuracy of Extended Outlooks
We have had questions on the accuracy of extended outlooks. In these outlooks, we are looking at conditions 5 to 7 days out. The second graph/table below reflects the general accuracy of forecasts/outlooks. Notice that the overall confidence in a 1 to 3-day forecast is high, a 4 to 5-day forecast is moderate, and a 6 to 7-day forecast is lower confidence.
Why does the accuracy drop off over time? Weather forecasts are derived from numerical forecast models. Simply put, weather is not random but is a chaotic system. Thus, small changes early can lead to big differences later; this is called the "butterfly effect". That is why accuracy drops over time. This is a rather complicated topic. For more details on the chaotic system and butterfly effect, click on the links provided.
In conclusion, I think there is value in my 5 to 7-day outlooks, since I look at many different models to see a general trend. When I issue a 5 to 7 day weather discussion, I call it an outlook, not a forecast. This captures the general patterns, which will usually give us the right trend, but not necessarily the exact details.
The graph below is for Stampede Pass at 4000' SE of Snoqualmie Pass.
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Closing Dates
Links and details listed include
Crystal Mountain extended schedule
Closing Sunday, 4/20: Silver Mountain, Summit Central, White Pass
From 49 Degrees North: Open Friday-Mondays, we do not yet have a closing date Our plan is to operate through the entire month of April and into the first week of May – all weather dependent of course.
Northwest Avalanche Center
NWAC so you can stay up to date with daily details. Observations, Education, Events, and Snow Depth Climatology Tools.
TODAY AT ALPENTAL! Last day for riding Chair 2.
🏔️There's a resort for everyone, but we can't cover every resort every time. For conditions and forecasts at your resort, please check their website.
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