Prairie Mountain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Prairie Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Prairie Mountain seen with Sauk River | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,678 ft (1,731 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 1,358 ft (414 m)[1] |
| Isolation | 4.87 mi (7.84 km)[2] |
| Coordinates | 48°16′31″N 121°28′16″W / 48.275179°N 121.471161°W[1] |
| Geography | |
  Prairie Mountain Location in Washington  Prairie Mountain Prairie Mountain (the United States) | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Snohomish |
| Parent range | Cascade Range |
| Topo map | USGS Prairie Mountain |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | class 3 scrambling |
Prairie Mountain is a 5,678-foot-elevation (1,731-meter) mountain summit near the western edge of the North Cascades, in Snohomish County of Washington state.[3] It is located six miles east of Darrington, Washington, and northwest of Glacier Peak which is one of the Cascade stratovolcanoes. It is situated on land administered by the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The nearest higher peak is White Chuck Mountain, 4.7 miles (7.6 km) to the south-southeast.[1] Precipitation runoff from Prairie Mountain drains into the Sauk River and Suiattle River, both tributaries of the Skagit River. The mountain was so named because of the beautiful prairie at its base.[4]
Prairie Mountain is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[5] Most weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach the North Cascades, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the North Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall.[5] Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high avalanche danger.[5] 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.[5] Due to its temperate climate and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, areas west of the Cascade Crest very rarely experience temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) or above 80 °F (27 °C).[5]