200 PM PST MON JAN 14 2008 WEATHER SYNOPSIS FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY One final storm before the sun reappears and ushers in an extended break in the recent very active pattern. A very strong cold front has moved across the Olympics Monday morning and is over the north Cascades Monday afternoon rapidly pushing eastward and should move inland across the Mt Hood area by early Monday evening. Very strong southwest crest level winds brought warming to most areas early Monday. Freezing levels are lowering with the front along with heavy precipitation over most west slope areas from about Mt Rainier northward early Monday afternoon. Many stations began precipitation as rain with the onset of frontal precipitation with cooling already lowering snow levels to base level in the Mt Baker area and Hurricane Ridge. Easterly surface winds have maintained a shallow sub- freezing layer over Snoqualmie Pass where some freezing rain is falling Monday afternoon. Freezing levels should continue to lower rapidly behind the front later Monday afternoon and evening. Behind the front a strong westerly crest level flow should maintain orographic showers along the west slope areas Monday evening through early Tuesday. A convergence zone should cause locally heavy showers beginning in the Stevens Pass area Monday evening and shift southward overnight. The flow becomes northwesterly Tuesday and the air dries rapidly by late morning. This should limit showers to the morning hours Tuesday along the west slopes with clearing along the east slopes. By later Tuesday a strong ridge of high pressure should build offshore. This should allow for gradual clearing but remaining very cool. WEATHER FORECAST FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY * OLYMPICS- Monday midday and afternoon: Moderate to heavy rain or snow changing to showers. Monday night: Light to moderate snow showers heaviest west Olympics. Tuesday morning: Light snow showers ending by late morning. Tuesday afternoon and night: Becoming partly cloudy. * WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE CREST- Monday afternoon: Moderate to heavy rain or snow north and central and light to moderate rain or snow south. Monday evening: Moderate snow showers likely heaviest central Cascades in convergence. Monday night and early Tuesday: Light to moderate snow showers, heaviest central Cascades in convergence. Tuesday afternoon and night: Becoming partly cloudy and cold. * CASCADE PASSES, INCLUDING STEVENS, SNOQUALMIE AND WHITE PASSES- Monday afternoon: Moderate snow Stevens Pass, moderate brief freezing rain Snoqualmie Pass and light rain White Pass. Monday evening: Moderate snow showers heaviest Stevens and Snoqualmie. Monday night and early Tuesday: Light to moderate snow showers, Snoqualmie Pass in convergence. Tuesday afternoon and night: Becoming partly cloudy and cold. * EAST SLOPES WASHINGTON CASCADES- Monday afternoon: Light to moderate snow north and light snow south. Monday evening: Light to moderate snow showers possibly heaviest central Cascades. Monday night: Light snow showers, mainly near the crest, otherwise becoming partly cloudy. Tuesday and Tuesday night: Partly cloudy and cold. * MT HOOD AREA- Monday afternoon: Light to moderate rain or snow. Monday evening: Moderate to heavy snow changing to showers. Monday night and early Tuesday: Light to moderate snow showers, gradually decreasing. Tuesday afternoon and night: Becoming partly cloudy and cold. SNOW LEVELS-CASCADE MTNS 3500 ft N, 5500 ft S Mon aft except near the surface Cascades passes and east slopes through Monday aft 1000 ft N, 3000 ft S Mon evening becoming free air levels passes Sea Level N, 500 ft S Mon night through Tue night SNOW LEVELS-OLYMPIC MTNS 4500 ft Mon aft 2000 ft Mon evening 500 ft Mon night through Tuesday night Cascade Snow/Freezing Levels refer to the northern Washington Cascades (N) through Mt Hood area (S). Central Washington Cascade snow levels (typically near Snoqualmie Pass) are normally midway between indicated N and S levels. Note that surface snow/freezing levels are common near the passes during easterly pass flow and may result in multiple snow/freezing levels. 24 HOUR FORECAST OF PRECIPITATION IN INCHES OF WATER EQUIVALENT ENDING AT 4AM TUE WED * HURRICANE RIDGE .5 LT .10 * MT BAKER 1 LT .25 * WASHINGTON PASS .5 LT .10 * STEVENS PASS .5-.75 LT .25 * SNOQUALMIE PASS .75 LT .25 * MISSION RIDGE .25 LT .10 * CRYSTAL MTN .5 LT .25 * PARADISE .75 LT .25 * WHITE PASS .5 LT .25 * MT HOOD .5-.75 LT .25 WINDS IN MILES PER HOUR (MPH) * CASCADE PASS LEVEL WINDS W 5-15 Mon aft W 15-25 Mon eve W 10-20 Mon night and early Tue W 5-15 Tue aft and night * FREE WINDS AT 5000 FT SW 30-45 Mon midday W 25-40 Mon eve W-NW 25-35 Mon night NW 15-30 early Tue, strongest Mt Hood N-NW 10-20 Tue aft and night * FREE WINDS AT 9000 FT SW 40-55 Mon aft W 35-50 Mon eve NW 35-50 Mon night and early Tue N-NW 20-30 Tue aft N 20-30 Tue night EXTENDED WEATHER SYNOPSIS FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY The first extended dry weather pattern in over a month is expected to develop this week. A strong upper level ridge should dominate the eastern north Pacific through the extended period. The ridge should be centered off the Pacific Northwest coast with cool fair weather over the mountain regions Wednesday. The ridge should gradually near the coast Thursday and Friday to maintain fair weather, light winds and gradually warming temperatures. EXTENDED FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY Wednesday: Mostly sunny days and mostly clear nights and cool. Thursday and Friday: Fair days and clear nights with warming temperatures. * FREEZING LEVELS Sea level-1000 ft N, 1-2000 ft S early Wed 1-3000 ft N, 6-8000 ft S late Wed 7-8000 ft N, 8-10000 ft S Thur and Fri