No mountain weather product will be issued on Thursday, April 23 due to our end-of-season team meeting. Forecasts will resume Friday, April 24. A closed low over western Montana that brought significant moisture to southern and central portions of the Cascades on Wednesday gradually exits to the east. Light rain and higher elevation snow shower activity linger, but gradually decrease, along the west slopes of the Cascades through the night as NW flow aloft traps some low-level moisture thanks to moderate to strong onshore low-level flow. The shower and very weak convergence activity will just be enough to keep it cloudy and damp along the west slopes of the Cascades while warmer, drier, windier conditions will exist east of the Cascade Crest. Southern portions of the forecast region will be slightly cooler, which combined with a bit more sustained shower activity through the evening could bring an additional inch or so of snow to Mt Hood. The NNW flow pattern continues Thursday through Friday as an offshore gains influence over the departed low. Lingering low cloud west of the Cascade Crest could touch off an isolated shower or flurry in the northern Cascades early Thursday, but clouds will gradually break up as the day, leading to partly to mostly sunny skies in the afternoon. Freezing levels rise to around 6000-8000 ft in the afternoons both days.

There's not much in the way of pattern change in the long-range. Freezing levels hover near seasonal norms 6000-6500 ft. We are watching the potential for a chunk of the stationary low over south-central Canada to split off and retrograde westward toward our area. This could bring in some slightly cooler air aloft and a slight chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm on Sunday.