Devils Thumb (Washington) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Devils Thumb
Devils Thumb seen from Darrington, WA
Highest point
Elevation	5,172 ft (1,576 m)
Prominence	744 ft (227 m)
Geography
Devils Thumb Location in Washington (state) Show map of Washington (state) Devils Thumb Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Parent range	Cascade Range
Topo map	USGS Helena Ridge
Climbing
Easiest route	Scrambling

Devils Thumb is a mountain peak found in the North Cascades mountains. It is located in Snohomish County, Washington state, in the U.S.. This peak is about 10 miles south of Darrington, Washington. It sits west of Glacier Peak, which is a large stratovolcano in the Cascade Range. Devils Thumb is part of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The closest taller peak is Devils Peak, which is about 0.79 miles (1.27 km) away to the southwest. Water from Devils Thumb flows into streams that feed the Sauk River.

Weather at Devils Thumb

Devils Thumb is in a marine west coast climate zone. This means it gets a lot of influence from the Pacific Ocean. Most weather fronts, which are like big weather systems, come from the Pacific Ocean. They then travel northeast towards the Cascade Mountains.

How Mountains Affect Weather

When these weather fronts hit the tall peaks of the Cascade Range, they are forced to rise. As the air rises, it cools down. This cooling makes the moisture in the air turn into rain or snowfall. This process is called Orographic lift. Because of this, the western side of the North Cascades gets a lot of rain and snow, especially in winter.

Temperatures and Snow

Since the area is close to the Pacific Ocean, the weather is usually mild. Temperatures rarely drop below 0°F (-18°C) or go above 80°F (27°C). In winter, it's often cloudy. But in summer, high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean bring clear skies. The snow here tends to be wet and heavy because of the ocean's influence. This can lead to a high risk of avalanches.

How the Mountains Formed

The North Cascades mountains have very rugged shapes. You can see sharp peaks, long ridges, and deep valleys carved by glaciers. These amazing shapes were created by geological events that happened millions of years ago. These events also caused big changes in elevation, which led to different climates and types of plants in the area.

A Look Back in Time

The Cascade Mountains started forming millions of years ago, during the late Eocene Epoch. This happened because the North American Plate was slowly moving over the Pacific Plate. This movement caused a lot of volcanic activity. Also, small pieces of the Earth's crust, called terranes, came together to form the North Cascades about 50 million years ago.

The Ice Age's Impact

During the Pleistocene period, which was over two million years ago, glaciers grew and then melted many times. As these huge ice sheets moved, they scraped and shaped the land. They left behind piles of rock and debris. The "U"-shaped valleys you see today were carved out by these glaciers. The combination of land being pushed up (called uplift) and cracks in the Earth's crust (called faulting) along with glaciation, created the tall peaks and deep valleys of the North Cascades.

• Weather forecast: Devils Thumb