Passage Peak

Passage Peak is a prominent 5,990-foot (1,826 m) mountain summit located in the Chugach Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The unofficially named peak is situated in Chugach National Forest, 9 mi (14 km) northeast of Whittier, Alaska, near the isthmus of the Kenai Peninsula, where the Chugach Mountains meet the Kenai Mountains. Nearby peaks include Maynard Mountain and Boggs Peak, each approximately 10 mi (16 km) to the southwest. Although modest in elevation, relief is significant since the southern aspect of the mountain rises up from the tidewater of Prince William Sound's Passage Canal in approximately five miles. The peak takes its name from Passage Canal, which in turn was named in 1794 by Captain George Vancouver, presumably because it leads to a portage connecting Prince William Sound with Cook Inlet.[3]

Passage Peak
Passage Peak and Billings Glacier
Highest point
Elevation5,990 ft (1,830 m)[1]
Prominence2,690 ft (820 m)[1]
Isolation5.2 mi (8.4 km)[2]
Coordinates60°54′07″N 148°33′59″W[1]
Geography
Passage Peak
Location of Passage Peak in Alaska
LocationAnchorage Borough
Alaska, United States
Parent rangeChugach Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Seward D-5

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Passage Peak is located in a subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[4] Weather systems coming off the Gulf of Alaska are forced upwards by the Chugach Mountains (orographic lift), causing heavy precipitation in the form of rainfall and snowfall. Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports the Billings Glacier on the south aspect, and immense Harriman Glacier on the north slope.

See also

References

Passage Peak upper right, and Passage Canal
  1. "Passage Peak, Alaska". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
  2. "Passage Peak" AK listsofjohn.com
  3. "Passage Canal". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
  4. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.

National Weather Service Forecast

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