Whitefish Range
The Whitefish Range is a mountain range stretching north-south from British Columbia, Canada to Montana, United States. It is about 76 miles (122 km) long and 58 miles (93 km) wide. Water flowing from its east side drains down the North Fork Flathead River and its west side drains into the Whitefish River, both part of the Columbia River drainage basin.[1]
| Whitefish Range | |
|---|---|
| Whitefish-MacDonald Range | |
 Whitefish Range from Whitefish, Montana | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Mount Doupe, British Columbia, Canada |
| Elevation | 8,740 ft (2,660 m) |
| Coordinates | 48°51′N 114°37′W |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 76 mi (122 km) North-south |
| Width | 58 mi (93 km) East-west |
| Area | 1,726 sq mi (4,470 km2) |
| Geography | |
  Whitefish Range | |
| Countries | United States and Canada |
| States | Montana and British Columbia |
| Settlements | Columbia Falls, Montana and Eureka, Montana |
| Borders on | North Fork Flathead River and Kootenay River |
The mountain range is located north of Columbia Falls and Whitefish in the Flathead Valley, and east of Eureka. The Flathead River separates it from the Swan Range, which would otherwise continue the mountain range southwards.
The Whitefish Range, however, is not particularly high. The highest peaks in the U.S. are Nasukoin Mountain, 8,086 feet (2,465 m), and Lake Mountain, 7,814 feet (2,382 m).[1] In Canada, the highest peak is Mount Doupe, 8,740 feet (2,660 m).[2]
The Whitefish Range is located west of Glacier National Park and consists mostly of wilderness. It supports a variety of conifers including western red cedar, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine and western larch, but much of the region has been devastated by forest fires. The area also supports large mammals including black bears, grizzly bears, mountain lions, and other species of fish, small mammals, and amphibians.[2]
In the U.S., a large portion of the range has been removed from multiple use designation, including the 34,000-acre Ten Lakes Wilderness Study Area on the Kootenai National Forest. Ten Lakes WSA contains more than 89 miles of trails, many mountain lakes, alpine peaks, and views into Canada and Glacier National Park.[3]
Climate
Poorman Mountain (Montana) is a mountain peak in Montana within the Whitefish Range. Poorman Mountain has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc).
There is no weather station, but this climate table contains interpolated data.
| Climate data for Poorman Mountain 48.9599 N, 114.9349 W, Elevation: 7,382 ft (2,250 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 22.6 (−5.2) |
24.1 (−4.4) |
30.0 (−1.1) |
37.2 (2.9) |
46.3 (7.9) |
52.5 (11.4) |
62.8 (17.1) |
63.2 (17.3) |
53.2 (11.8) |
38.8 (3.8) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
21.2 (−6.0) |
39.9 (4.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 17.1 (−8.3) |
17.4 (−8.1) |
21.8 (−5.7) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
36.3 (2.4) |
42.3 (5.7) |
51.3 (10.7) |
51.5 (10.8) |
43.1 (6.2) |
31.6 (−0.2) |
22.0 (−5.6) |
16.1 (−8.8) |
31.5 (−0.3) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 11.7 (−11.3) |
10.6 (−11.9) |
13.7 (−10.2) |
18.9 (−7.3) |
26.3 (−3.2) |
32.2 (0.1) |
39.7 (4.3) |
39.8 (4.3) |
33.0 (0.6) |
24.4 (−4.2) |
16.6 (−8.6) |
11.0 (−11.7) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 8.18 (208) |
6.58 (167) |
7.45 (189) |
6.66 (169) |
6.29 (160) |
8.06 (205) |
2.57 (65) |
2.00 (51) |
3.31 (84) |
5.38 (137) |
7.95 (202) |
7.59 (193) |
72.02 (1,830) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group[4] | |||||||||||||
There is a SNOTEL weather station below Stahl Peak (Montana). Stahl Peak also has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) but has an overall warmer climate, due to its lower elevation.
| Climate data for Stahl Peak, Montana, 1991–2020 normals: 6030ft (1838m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 25.1 (−3.8) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
34.8 (1.6) |
43.0 (6.1) |
51.7 (10.9) |
56.5 (13.6) |
66.5 (19.2) |
66.1 (18.9) |
55.9 (13.3) |
41.6 (5.3) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
43.5 (6.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 20.2 (−6.6) |
21.4 (−5.9) |
26.9 (−2.8) |
33.8 (1.0) |
41.9 (5.5) |
46.8 (8.2) |
55.0 (12.8) |
54.8 (12.7) |
46.6 (8.1) |
35.2 (1.8) |
25.1 (−3.8) |
18.9 (−7.3) |
35.6 (2.0) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 15.3 (−9.3) |
15.1 (−9.4) |
19.1 (−7.2) |
24.5 (−4.2) |
32.0 (0.0) |
37.0 (2.8) |
43.6 (6.4) |
43.5 (6.4) |
37.2 (2.9) |
28.7 (−1.8) |
20.3 (−6.5) |
14.2 (−9.9) |
27.5 (−2.5) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 7.11 (181) |
5.49 (139) |
6.45 (164) |
5.44 (138) |
5.72 (145) |
6.47 (164) |
2.27 (58) |
1.97 (50) |
3.25 (83) |
5.38 (137) |
6.98 (177) |
6.39 (162) |
62.92 (1,598) |
| Source 1: XMACIS2[5] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (Precipitation)[6] | |||||||||||||
See also
Notes
- "Whitefish-MacDonald Range". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- "Whitefish Range". SummitPost. June 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- "Ten Lakes Scenic Area". Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.
- "xmACIS2". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
- "Stahl Peak, Montana 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved October 16, 2023.