page_title: Pelton Peak
section_title: Climate
hierarchical_section_title: Pelton Peak / Climate
caption_attribution_description: Pelton Peak, Yawning Glacier and Magic Mountain (left to right) from Sahale Arm north of Cascade Pass, North Cascades National Park, Washington, United StatesCascade pass
context_page_description: Pelton Peak is a 7,132-foot mountain summit located in Chelan County of Washington state. It is part of the North Cascades, a subset of the Cascade Range. Pelton Peak is situated 1.8 miles southeast of Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park near the northern end of the Ptarmigan Traverse. The nearest higher peak is Magic Mountain, 0.4 miles to the southwest. The Yawning Glacier rests on its western flank between these two peaks. Surface runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Stehekin River. The mountain's name comes from the Pelton wheel which was used in early mining times, and several mines were located in the vicinity of Pelton Basin, Horseshoe Basin, and Boston Basin.
context_section_description: Pelton 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 the North Cascades, 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 (Orographic lift).
   As a result, the west side of the North 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.
caption: View from Sahale Arm with Pelton Peak centered and Magic Mountain to right
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