Chasing the Sun

This certainly isn't shaping up to be last year's Memorial Day weekend. Remember the glorious blue skies and unseasonably warm weather? Ahhh...last year.

But do not despair! The weather forecast - once predicting utter gloom - is improving as we close in on the long weekend.

Plan your hike for Sunday

If you want to go hiking, Sunday appears to be your day. For the most part, this day is forecast to be partly to mostly sunny throughout most of the state. The exceptions are mountain passes (predicting cloudy and slight chance of showers). 

Your best bets for a Sunday dayhike in the Cascades will be hiking near Mount Baker, along the Mountain Loop Highway, near Leavenworth and along Blewett Pass. But if you stay at lower elevations, you should be able to find sun elsewhere as well.

Those wishing for a longer weekend with a minimum of precipitation, should consider the Mazama area, Lake Chelan and near Yakima. Chances of rain for Saturday and Monday are lower for these areas than the rest of the state.

Try out our Search by Map!

Now where to go. You should definitely try out our new Search by Map function. Just zoom in on your region, filter the criteria to what kind of hike you seek and browse our online database of more than 900 full guidebook descriptions. It's a fun way to discover new hikes.

Do note that mountain weather - and frankly all weather in Washington - is notoriously fickle. You are wise to do your own research about weather and conditions. Trip Reports help you determine snow levels and trail conditions, and calling the ranger station ahead of time is also wise this time of year.

The best mountain weather website I've found is the National Weather Service's mountain weather page. It even provides a detailed forecast for some hiking destinations! Definitely bookmark the page for this weekend and future jaunts into the wilderness. Have a great weekend!