# Cloud Peak

Cloud Peak is the highest peak within the Bighorn Mountains in the U.S. state of Wyoming.

## Location

It rises to an elevation of 13,171 feet (4,015 m) and provides onlookers with dramatic views and vistas. The mountain can be climbed most easily from the western side, accessed by either the Battle Park or West Tensleep trail-heads and is roughly 24 miles round-trip from both. The peak is located in the 189,000 acre (765 km$^2$) Cloud Peak Wilderness within Bighorn National Forest. The northeast slope of Cloud Peak is a deep cirque which harbors Cloud Peak Glacier, the last active glacier in the Bighorn Mountains.
Cloud Peak is on the border between Johnson County and Big Horn County in Wyoming and is the high point of both counties. As the high point of an isolated range, Cloud Peak has the greatest topographic prominence in the state, 7,077 feet (2,157 m), one foot more than the state's highest mountain, 13,810 foot (4,210 m) Gannett Peak, and fifteenth greatest in the contiguous United States.

## Climate

Cloud Peak has an Alpine climate (ET).
Climate data for Cloud Peak 44.3831 N, 107.1748 W, Elevation: 12,654 ft (3,857 m) (1991–2020 normals) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 16.6 (−8.6) | 16.9 (−8.4) | 23.2 (−4.9) | 27.7 (−2.4) | 36.6 (2.6) | 46.9 (8.3) | 56.0 (13.3) | 54.9 (12.7) | 46.6 (8.1) | 34.2 (1.2) | 22.7 (−5.2) | 16.2 (−8.8) | 33.2 (0.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 7.8 (−13.4) | 7.2 (−13.8) | 12.8 (−10.7) | 17.5 (−8.1) | 26.3 (−3.2) | 36.1 (2.3) | 44.2 (6.8) | 43.0 (6.1) | 35.4 (1.9) | 24.3 (−4.3) | 14.3 (−9.8) | 7.6 (−13.6) | 23.0 (−5.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −1.1 (−18.4) | −2.5 (−19.2) | 2.5 (−16.4) | 7.2 (−13.8) | 16.0 (−8.9) | 25.2 (−3.8) | 32.5 (0.3) | 31.1 (−0.5) | 24.1 (−4.4) | 14.5 (−9.7) | 5.9 (−14.5) | −1.1 (−18.4) | 12.9 (−10.6) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.47 (88) | 3.23 (82) | 3.78 (96) | 5.26 (134) | 5.59 (142) | 4.40 (112) | 2.63 (67) | 1.60 (41) | 3.19 (81) | 3.98 (101) | 3.24 (82) | 2.87 (73) | 43.24 (1,099) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group ||||||||||||||
Cloud Peak Reservoir is a mountain lake below Cloud Peak on its eastern slopes. The weather station there has a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc).
Climate data for Cloud Peak Reservoir, Wyoming, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1989–present, elev. 9860ft (3005m) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 58 (14) | 58 (14) | 61 (16) | 67 (19) | 69 (21) | 80 (27) | 81 (27) | 81 (27) | 78 (26) | 70 (21) | 64 (18) | 55 (13) | 81 (27) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 48.5 (9.2) | 47.6 (8.7) | 52.8 (11.6) | 58.0 (14.4) | 63.3 (17.4) | 70.0 (21.1) | 75.6 (24.2) | 74.1 (23.4) | 70.6 (21.4) | 62.4 (16.9) | 53.7 (12.1) | 46.6 (8.1) | 76.5 (24.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 30.1 (−1.1) | 31.0 (−0.6) | 37.7 (3.2) | 41.7 (5.4) | 49.4 (9.7) | 57.5 (14.2) | 65.2 (18.4) | 64.2 (17.9) | 56.4 (13.6) | 45.3 (7.4) | 35.9 (2.2) | 29.2 (−1.6) | 45.3 (7.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 18.5 (−7.5) | 17.9 (−7.8) | 24.2 (−4.3) | 28.9 (−1.7) | 37.7 (3.2) | 45.7 (7.6) | 52.4 (11.3) | 51.3 (10.7) | 44.1 (6.7) | 33.5 (0.8) | 24.1 (−4.4) | 17.2 (−8.2) | 33.0 (0.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 7.0 (−13.9) | 4.8 (−15.1) | 10.6 (−11.9) | 16.1 (−8.8) | 25.9 (−3.4) | 33.8 (1.0) | 39.6 (4.2) | 38.3 (3.5) | 31.7 (−0.2) | 21.8 (−5.7) | 12.3 (−10.9) | 5.3 (−14.8) | 20.6 (−6.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −16.2 (−26.8) | −19.3 (−28.5) | −11.3 (−24.1) | −4.5 (−20.3) | 7.6 (−13.6) | 24.1 (−4.4) | 31.9 (−0.1) | 29.6 (−1.3) | 17.7 (−7.9) | −1.1 (−18.4) | −12.7 (−24.8) | −20.1 (−28.9) | −26.1 (−32.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −39 (−39) | −33 (−36) | −33 (−36) | −21 (−29) | −7 (−22) | 13 (−11) | 25 (−4) | 19 (−7) | 2 (−17) | −25 (−32) | −29 (−34) | −39 (−39) | −39 (−39) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.70 (43) | 1.81 (46) | 2.83 (72) | 4.17 (106) | 4.84 (123) | 2.78 (71) | 2.04 (52) | 1.44 (37) | 2.36 (60) | 3.04 (77) | 1.88 (48) | 1.67 (42) | 30.56 (777) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 38.6 (98) | 47.3 (120) | 59.5 (151) | 63.7 (162) | 58.5 (149) | 24.3 (62) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 4.7 (12) | 11.4 (29) | 21.0 (53) | 29.9 (76) | 69.1 (176) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.9 | 10.2 | 13.3 | 17.3 | 15.9 | 11.2 | 9.0 | 7.5 | 9.1 | 12.1 | 9.7 | 9.4 | 134.6 |
| Source 1: XMACIS2 (snow depth 2006–2020) ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (Precipitation) ||||||||||||||