Chinook Peak


Chinook Peak is a summit located on the eastern border of Mount Rainier National Park. It is also on the shared border of Pierce County and Yakima County in Washington state. Chinook Peak is situated north of Chinook Pass on the crest of the Cascade Range. Its nearest higher peak is Crystal Mountain, to the north. Crystal Peak lies to the northwest, and Cupalo Rock is to the east-northeast. Precipitation runoff from Chinook Peak drains into tributaries of the White River and Yakima River.

Climate

Chinook Peak is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. During winter months, weather is usually cloudy, but, due to high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean that intensify during summer months, there is often little or no cloud cover during the summer. Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high avalanche danger.

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