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12/17 Mt. Hood snow, Gorge wind










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Mt. Hood Snow Forecast – 5000′
4a-8a 8a-12p 12p-4p 4p-8p 8p-4a
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday

In a triumph of forecasting prowess, I made it rain on Mt. Hood for a while last last night. What? The forecast doesn’t make the weather? It’s the other way around? Judging by the emails I get, you’d think I was in charge of the weather, not the forecasting!

If you prefer your snow in the Gorge, you will get it. Odell and Parkdale will see a bit tonight, and a bit more tomorrow. Everyone gets snow on Wednesday, with an inch or two of sticking snow all the way down to the river early Wednesday morning. That’s the long-range forecast. Honestly, it could snow quite a bit more, depending on when the gradients switch from east to west. I’ll have a better idea of that tomorrow. In gorge wind, it’s going to nuke out east today. Head to Arlington for 35+. Maybe we’ll see strong wind through the rest of the Gorge too. As always, it’s hard to tell from the models in the winter, so check the satellite picture and head east of the cloud line.

Anyway, it’s snowing and blowing on Mt. Hood this morning, but the strongest wind field has already moved through. We got very lucky… if it had come through 6 hours later, there would have been no lifts running today. Timing is everything! The snow level has been dropping all night, and will continue to drop today from 2000′ this morning to 500′ this afternoon. We’ll see around 1.2” water value (WV) today for 10-16” of new snow, followed by another .2” WV overnight for 2-3” more by Tuesday morning. Wind today will be W 40-60 early, going to WNW 50 by 10am, WNW 40 in the afternoon and W 25 overnight.


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Tuesday starts off with flurries, becoming partly cloudy with orographic flurries in the afternoon. The snow level will be at 500′. We’ll see .2” WV by 4pm, for 1-3” of new, mostly before noon. Flurries continue overnight for no significant accumulation. Wind Tuesday will be WSW 25 in the morning, W 20 mid-morning and NW 20-25 in the afternoon.

The next system moves in Wednesday. The snow level starts at the surface, rising to 2000′ by 10am, climbing to 5000′ at 4pm and then dropping back to 3000′ at 7pm. Snow starts falling around 4am, with .3-.4”, for 2-3” of new. After 4pm, precip increases, with 1” WV by 4am Thursday, for 9-12” of new snow.

The snow level on Thursday will be at 1500′, with continued moderate snowfall and moderate wind.

Have an awesome day today!

Temira

By Temira

Temira Lital is a recreation and travel weather forecaster based in Hood River, Oregon. Temira uses they/them pronouns. They're also a mental health counselor. Temira bikes, skis, windsurfs, paddles a SUP, swims in mountain lakes, and loves gardening. Most recently they've taken up SUP foiling. Temira is powered by La Croix, protein, and beets.