Mountain Weather

Rain, sleet, and snow

The air continues to cool as it rises, but not as fast as before, because the heat given off during the condensation process warms the air. As it cools, more water drops form. When they get large enough, they fall to the Earth in the form of rain, sleet, or snow.

This is why the windward side of a mountain is usually wetter than its leeward side. The highest recorded snowfall occurred on the windward side of Mount Baker in Washington—95 feet during the winter of 1998-99.