Climate
Snow is relatively rare at low elevations in western Oregon, but it is common at higher elevations, especially at Crater Lake. Measurements at park headquarters, 6,475 feet (1,974 m) above sea level, show that snow falls more often here than at any other long-term weather station in Oregon. Winter, which typically begins at the park in September and runs through June, includes an average of 98 days with measurable snowfall. Up to 37 inches (94 cm) of snow have fallen on the park in a single day (in 1937, 1951, and 1971), 313 inches (800 cm) in a month (January 1950), and 903 inches (2,290 cm) in a year (1950).
Snow typically accumulates in the park to depths of 10 to 15 feet (3.0 to 4.6 m) by early spring. Most of the park's roads remain closed through late spring, and snow lingers into the summer. In July and August, snowfall is uncommon, and "one magnificent day typically follows another".
January is the coldest month, when highs average about 35 °F (2 °C) and lows average about 18 °F (−8 °C). August is the warmest month, with an average high of roughly 69 °F (21 °C) and an average low of about 40 °F (4 °C). Between 1962 and 1990, the highest recorded temperature was 90 °F (32 °C), and the lowest was −21 °F (−29 °C). Annual precipitation averages about 66 inches (1,700 mm) a year. December is the wettest, averaging about 11 inches (280 mm).
| Climate data for Crater Lake (1981–2010 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 34.6 (1.4) |
35.1 (1.7) |
37.5 (3.1) |
41.7 (5.4) |
49.4 (9.7) |
57.9 (14.4) |
68.8 (20.4) |
69.7 (20.9) |
63.2 (17.3) |
52.1 (11.2) |
38.2 (3.4) |
34.0 (1.1) |
48.52 (9.18) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 19.0 (−7.2) |
18.5 (−7.5) |
19.8 (−6.8) |
23.0 (−5.0) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
33.3 (0.7) |
40.5 (4.7) |
40.6 (4.8) |
36.2 (2.3) |
30.1 (−1.1) |
22.6 (−5.2) |
18.8 (−7.3) |
27.56 (−2.47) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 9.32 (236.7) |
7.75 (196.9) |
7.48 (190) |
5.37 (136.4) |
3.55 (90.2) |
2.22 (56.4) |
1.02 (25.9) |
1.00 (25.4) |
1.85 (47) |
4.44 (112.8) |
10.29 (261.4) |
11.41 (289.8) |
65.7 (1,668.8) |
| Snowfall inches (cm) | 85.5 (217.2) |
73.8 (187.5) |
73.4 (186.4) |
48.8 (124) |
17.4 (44.2) |
4.1 (10.4) |
0.2 (0.5) |
0 (0) |
3.1 (7.9) |
17.3 (43.9) |
71.1 (180.6) |
92.7 (235.5) |
487.4 (1,238) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 17.9 | 15.9 | 18.1 | 15.5 | 11.2 | 8.1 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 5.8 | 9.8 | 17.5 | 18.0 | 145.7 |
| Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 15.9 | 14.3 | 16.1 | 12.6 | 6.0 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 4.7 | 13.2 | 16.4 | 102.5 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Read more about this topic: Crater Lake National Park
Famous quotes containing the word climate:
“Nobody is so constituted as to be able to live everywhere and anywhere; and he who has great duties to perform, which lay claim to all his strength, has, in this respect, a very limited choice. The influence of climate upon the bodily functions ... extends so far, that a blunder in the choice of locality and climate is able not only to alienate a man from his actual duty, but also to withhold it from him altogether, so that he never even comes face to face with it.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“If often he was wrong and at times absurd,
To us he is no more a person
Now but a whole climate of opinion.”
—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)
“A positive learning climate in a school for young children is a composite of many things. It is an attitude that respects children. It is a place where children receive guidance and encouragement from the responsible adults around them. It is an environment where children can experiment and try out new ideas without fear of failure. It is an atmosphere that builds children’s self-confidence so they dare to take risks. It is an environment that nurtures a love of learning.”
—Carol B. Hillman (20th century)