Church Mountain (Washington)



Church Mountain is a 6315 ft mountain summit located north of Mount Baker in Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. The summit affords a 360 degree view of the area, which includes Mount Baker to the south and Mount Shuksan to the southeast. Church Mountain is the line parent of Bearpaw Mountain.

Climate
Church Mountain 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. Due to its temperate climate and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, areas west of the Cascade Crest very rarely experience temperatures below 0 °F or above 80 °F. 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. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Nooksack River.