A park interpreter’s guide to the climate of Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park: Climate summary for water years 2000 to 2017
Baccus WD. 2018. A park interpreter’s guide to the climate of Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park: Climate summary for water years 2000 to 2017. Natural Resource Report. NPS/NCCN/NRR—2018/1714. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
The aptly named Hurricane Ridge is a steep dividing barrier which separates the interior Olympic Mountains from the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound Lowlands. Rising from sea level to 6,000 feet in only 10 miles distance, Hurricane Ridge routinely experiences high winds and abundant snow and cold rain from fall through late spring. Climate and weather events define the ecological characteristics found in this area and are key to understanding the area’s natural resources and managing park operations and infrastructure. Hurricane Ridge is the single most popular destination in Olympic National Park and is the only high elevation destination accessed by a paved road. This report summarizes weather data collected by the North Coast and Cascades Network Climate Monitoring Program at Hurricane Ridge, within Olympic National Park between the years 2000 and 2017. Snowpack, precipitation and air temperature summaries are derived from continuous data collected at the Waterhole SNOTEL site, operated in cooperation with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service since 1999 (18 year record). A longer term trend in snowpack is presented, based on monthly manual snow course measurements at the Cox Valley Snow Course. Wind summaries are derived from a Northwest Avalanche Center automated weather station, which has been operated since 2003 (14 year record).
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Baccus, William
- Date of Issue
- 2018-09
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- NRSS , OLYM
- Keywords
- air temperature, Climate, Climate Monitoring, COOP, Cooperative Weather Station, Hurricane Ridge, Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, National Weather Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Northwest Avalanche Center, Olympic National Park, Precipitation, SNOTEL, snow water equivalent, snowpack, Temperature, Washington, weather, weather station, wind speed
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Air and Climate | Weather and Climate | Weather and Climate