Hoh Glacier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hoh Glacier |
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Aerial view of Hoh Glacier
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 Hoh Glacier
Location in Washington (state)
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| Type | Mountain glacier |
| Coordinates | 47°47′54″N 123°40′13″W / 47.79833°N 123.67028°W |
| Length | 3.06 miles (4.93 km) |
The Hoh Glacier is a large glacier found on Mount Olympus. This mountain is located in the Olympic National Park in Washington, USA. The glacier is super important because it's where the Hoh River begins! It's the longest glacier on Mount Olympus, stretching about 4.93 kilometers (3.06 miles). Even though it's long, another glacier called Blue Glacier actually has more ice.
Weather Around Hoh Glacier
The area around Hoh Glacier has a special type of weather called a marine west coast climate. This is based on the Köppen climate classification system. This kind of climate is found in western North America, near the ocean.
Most of the weather systems, like weather fronts, start over the Pacific Ocean. They then move northeast towards the Olympic Mountains. When these weather fronts hit the tall Olympic peaks, they are forced to rise up. As the air rises, it cools down. This cooling causes the moisture in the air to turn into rain or snow. This process is called orographic lift.
Because of this, the Olympic Mountains get a lot of rain and snow, especially in winter. Winters are usually cloudy and wet. However, during the summer, high-pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean become stronger. This often means there are very few clouds, and the weather is sunny.
