Weather
The most reliable part of this forecast is Tuesday morning through Thursday midday, when a windy Pacific front followed by cooler showers brings the PNW its main midweek refresh. Guidance is tightly clustered on that sequence and on the north-to-south snowfall gradient, with Whistler and Mt Baker favored most while Oregon stays warmer and less productive. Snow starts dense Tuesday with SLRs mostly 5-9 where it is snowing, then improves into the 10-14 range on Wednesday as colder air settles in.
Monday stays dry, then snow pushes in before dawn Tuesday in Whistler and the north Cascades, reaches the Washington passes later Tuesday, and finally gets into Oregon Tuesday night. Guidance converges well on the arrival timing, on strong south to southwest wind, and on a warm initial snow-level setup: roughly 2,000-4,000 feet around Whistler, 2,500-4,500 feet near Mt Baker, 3,500-5,500 feet around Stevens, and 5,000-7,000 feet in Oregon. Snowfall intensity is a little less settled than timing, with the biggest spread centered on Mt Baker and the central Washington Cascades, but all guidance keeps the north as the clear winner. That means Tuesday’s snow will be dense where it sticks, and exposed terrain will be rough at times with gusts commonly 30-45 mph and locally 50-70 mph near Timberline and other ridgelines. By Wednesday and Wednesday night, the guidance remains well clustered on colder air dropping snow levels toward 1,000-2,500 feet and improving snow quality, with the best storm totals ending up near Mt Baker at 19″-27″ and around Whistler at 10″-14″. Snoqualmie remains temporarily closed, so its midweek refresh matters more for coverage than immediate lift access.
Thursday through Saturday looks much simpler, and guidance is strongly convergent on drying, lighter wind, and a steady warming trend. Any lingering Wednesday night snow shuts down early Thursday, then most areas move into spring conditions with cool starts, softer afternoons, and only limited overnight refreeze outside the colder northern terrain. Whistler should hold the most wintry feel, while the Washington Cascades turn more mixed by afternoon and Oregon gets especially mild.
Forecast confidence drops again late Sunday into next week because the guidance agrees on a turn toward wetter weather but diverges on how quickly the next trough arrives, how fast it cools, and how much wind comes with it. The most likely outcome is a new round of precipitation sometime from late Sunday into Monday, with initially high snow levels and a better chance for accumulating snow after colder air follows behind. At this range it makes more sense to think in broad strokes: another 4″-10″ is plausible for Whistler and the north Washington Cascades, while many other PNW resorts sit closer to a 2″-8″ scenario if the colder solutions verify. The larger-scale pattern still leans a bit wetter than normal into early April, but the exact next storm track and snow quality are not settled yet.
Resort Forecast Totals (Tue Mar 24 – Thu Mar 26)
- Mt Baker – 19″-27″
- Whistler – 10″-14″
- Stevens Pass – 6″-8″
- Timberline – 5″-8″
- Snoqualmie Pass – 5″-7″
- Crystal Mountain – 4″-6″
- Mt Bachelor – 1″-2″
