Seymour Peak


Seymour Peak is a summit located in Mount Rainier National Park in Pierce County of Washington state. It is part of the Cascade Range and is situated southeast of Cayuse Pass and northeast of Shriner Peak. Its nearest higher peak is Dewey Peak, to the east. Seymour Peak is named for William Wolcott Seymour, mayor of Tacoma, Washington from 1911 to 1914. He was also a philanthropist, mountaineer, and a contributor to the scouting movement. Precipitation runoff from Seymour Peak drains into tributaries of the Cowlitz River.

Climate

Seymour 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, 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 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.