Sourdough Mountain (Whatcom County, Washington)

Sourdough Mountain
Sourdough Mountain
	Sourdough Mountain seen from Diablo Lake
Highest point
Elevation	6,111 ft (1,863 m)
Prominence	227 ft (69 m)
Coordinates	48°45′07″N 121°07′41″W / 48.75194°N 121.12806°WCoordinates: 48°45′07″N 121°07′41″W / 48.75194°N 121.12806°W
Geography
	Sourdough Mountain Location in WashingtonShow map of Washington (state)Show map of the United StatesShow all
Location	Whatcom County, Washington, U.S.
Parent range	Cascade Range
Topo map	USGS Mount Prophet
Climbing
Easiest route	Hike

Sourdough Mountain (6,111 feet (1,863 m)) is in North Cascades National Park in the U.S. state of Washington.^[3] The Sourdough Mountain Lookout, is a fire lookout that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933 near the summit. The lookout was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.^[4]

Climate[]

Sourdough Mountain is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.^[5] 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. As a result, the west side of the North Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall.^[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] 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.^[6] Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high avalanche danger.^[6]