Snow Levels
My routine changes a bit in the winter as my whole life starts to revolve around snow levels. Base areas at local ski resorts are around 4000 feet and runs go over 6000. That translates to a simple rule of thumb:
Snow levels below 4000 make Ben happy. Snow levels above 4000 equal sad Ben.
We already had a brief dip below 4000 feet last week which gave the hills their first dusting. This weekend could bring some actual accumulation... granted it will melt, but this is pretty early for the Cascades to start getting hit.
... Snow showers down to near the 3500 foot level are likely in the Olympics and Cascades on Friday...
A strong storm system will usher in a colder air mass on Friday that will result in snow levels falling to near 3500 feet. A couple of inches of snow are likely above the 4000 foot level... with only a dusting expected below that level. [source]
The weather guys say this will be a La Nina winter which means average snowfall for most of the country and above average snowfall for the Pacific Northwest.