Weather
Dry, mild weather holds through Friday, then a weekend storm cycle runs from Friday night into Tuesday with a warm start and a colder finish. Snow levels start high on Saturday, so upper mountain terrain and northern locations do the best with wet snow while some lower slopes mix with rain. Colder air arrives Sunday night into Tuesday, dropping snow levels toward 3,000 feet and improving snow quality as SLRs climb into the 10–13:1 range. Mid to late next week stays unsettled with additional reload chances, and the broader mid-February pattern leans cool and wet for Washington and Oregon.
Friday night through Sunday is a warm start with higher snow levels and dense snow, especially in Oregon and at lower-elevation bases in Washington and British Columbia. Snow levels hover near 4,300 to 4,600 feet around Whistler early, climb into the 6,000 to 7,200 feet range in the Oregon Cascades by Saturday night, and sit closer to 3,000 to 5,300 feet for much of Washington, with Mt Baker on the cooler end. Snow quality reflects that warm profile, with SLRs commonly in the 5–8:1 range early, which supports very wet to dense snow that skis best on steeper terrain and higher aspects. Ridgetop winds increase in Oregon with sustained 20–25 mph and gusts up to around 50 mph at Mt Bachelor and near 70 mph at Timberline Saturday night, which could affect upper-mountain lift operations. The GFS is wetter on Mount Hood and at Crystal for the weekend push, while the AIFS is more aggressive for Mt Bachelor and Whistler, and the GDPS tends to be lighter.
Sunday night through Tuesday is the colder phase, and it delivers the most reliable combination of lower snow levels and better snow quality. Snow levels fall toward 3,000 to 4,000 feet for much of the Cascades, with the North Cascades and Whistler often nearer 2,300 to 3,000 feet, so more of the mountain stays on snow instead of rain. SLRs trend into the 10–13:1 range, which supports moderate, more skiable snow once temperatures settle into the 20s °F at elevation. Mount Hood remains the regional standout, while Crystal, Mt Bachelor, and Mt Baker should stack steady accumulations in the single digits into Tuesday. The ECMWF has a heavier Sunday night into Monday signal for Stevens and Snoqualmie than the AIFS, so totals in the central Washington Cascades carry some spread even in this higher-confidence window. Winds ease compared to Saturday for most Washington resorts, with occasional breezy west to southwest flow along ridges.
Wednesday night into next weekend keeps the storm track active, with colder temperatures and snow levels generally between 1,000 and 3,000 feet. Several smaller waves look capable of adding snow from Thursday through Sunday, and snow quality trends better than the weekend start with SLRs often 11–15:1 and a few mid-teen periods around Whistler. Model spread grows here, with the ECMWF and the AIFS tending toward lighter daily amounts while the GDPS and the GFS bring a wetter scenario for parts of the Cascades and the North Cascades. If the wetter idea verifies, Baker and Whistler have the best odds to push into meaningful multi-day totals, while Mount Hood, Crystal, Stevens, and Snoqualmie see a steadier string of refreshers. Looking deeper into mid-February, the background pattern favors cooler-than-normal air and above-normal precipitation across Washington and Oregon, which keeps the door open for more snow chances beyond this window.
Resort Forecast Totals (02/06–02/10)
- Timberline – 15″–23″
- Whistler – 8″–13″
- Crystal Mountain – 6″–10″
- Mt Bachelor – 6″–10″
- Mt Baker – 6″–9″
- Stevens Pass – 4″–6″
- Snoqualmie Pass – 2″–3″
