[Now I Fly]

I've used these sites for years and they work fairly well for me. https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES/conus_band.php?sat=G17&band=GEOCOLOR&length=12 https://a.atmos.washington.edu/data/zone_report.KSEW.html https://www.wunderground.com/maps/radar/current/tiw I'm curious what other systems folks are using? You can never have enough info when it comes to the predicting the weather. B

[Randito]

I find this NOAA product useful https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-121.08735836179193&lat=47.74988479543762#.Y26CmmSIYwA

[zimmertr]

Windy blows everything else away! I also tend to use Mountain Forecast when backpacking at elevation or summiting to know what kind of gear to bring. I used to love Wunderground but have generally not liked their android mobile apps and constantly found the rain predictions unreliable. Which is what I care about 90% of the time I check a forecast.

[schifferj]

[gb]

Like others here, I use Windy extensively as I can look at multiple models, look at cloud cover, freezing levels; and wind direction and speed at several altitudes to assess smoke probabilities. The forecast maps at Windy are those that are readily available, but the graphics are exceptional. When I want to look very long term, I use Pivotal Weather and supplement with CPC maps and discussions. Short term for precipitation one can look at the UW MM5, radar and satellite images. Also NAM and HRRR by way of Windy. For mountain conditions I look at the NWAC forecasts and telemetry. I may also look at Ski area and Parks webcams, as well as those from WSDOT or from localities.

[jinx'sboy]

This can be informative……. https://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/weather/10_day.cgi

[fourteen410]

[neek]

[Joey]

I have always liked NOAA's forecast discussion. Click map, follow link. View larger size in new window

[PowderPawn]

Right now I use "MyRadar" app for free radar when I am mobile. NOAA usually when I am at home and I need good info... Google (weather.com) if I dont care much.

[CC]

For winter weather forecasts, especially if you are going to drive over, or recreate near, passes, NWAC is the gold standard https://nwac.us/. They are almost always the most accurate with precip amounts, and get the "eastern flow" thing, i.e., when we get snow in the passes due to cold flow from east, when same altitudes away from passes are getting rain. Of course they don't start forecasts until there is already significant snow in mountains.

[rossb]

Most of the time, I use the zone forecasts (already mentioned) and the zone discussion from the UW. The latter is very helpful, as it gives me a chance to gauge confidence. For example, it is common for models to disagree a few days out, and the forecasters to go with what is normal for that time of year. One of the tougher problems is determining what "partly cloudy" means. For me, personally, I find high clouds to be just fine (people looking at the stars feel otherwise). In contrast, a sunny day with all the mountain peaks obscured is a bummer. Both fall under the big "partly sunny" umbrella (which is the same as "partly cloudy"). One clue is to look at the forecast for aviation, which is listed under the discussion page. During smoke season I look at windy.com, as well as this Canadian site. I found that it exaggerated the early smoke this year, though. We had some tiny fires that it thought would be a big deal, and weren't. I also think smoke forecasting is especially difficult, as sometimes the hiking has been great if you get above things; other times it clearly wasn't. During snow season, I look at NWAC (as mentioned). Not only the avalanche forecast, but also telemetry. I also look at the report from Cabin Creek, since that is one of my "go to" places for skiing. Oh, and while I never use the lifts, the resorts have good info as well. For same-day reports I look at WSDOT information (if nothing else, to see if the pass is open).

[BigBrunyon]

muss

[Chief Joseph]

Plan to head to Idaho for the winter next week, looks like finally a couple of dry days going over the pass, through Spokane and up to Priest lake. I am worried about the freezing fog thing though, they say that was a major factor in the big wreck yesterday (18 semi trucks involved) over in Kittitas. I ran into that once around Ritzville once and there were a few cars in the ditch and movement was down to a crawl. I would like to avoid that.

[gb]