Mount Thomas is a mountain summit located in the
Chugach Mountains, in the
U.S. state of
Alaska. The peak is situated west-southwest of
Valdez, Alaska, on the boundary of
Chugach National Forest
The Chugach National Forest is a United States National Forest in south central Alaska. Covering portions of Prince William Sound, the Kenai Peninsula and the Copper River Delta, it was formed in 1907 from part of a larger forest reserve. The Ch ...
. Although modest in elevation,
relief is significant since the eastern aspect of the mountain rises up from the tidewater of
Prince William Sound's Valdez Narrows in approximately 1.5 miles. The mountain was named in 1898 by Captain
William R. Abercrombie, presumably for General
George Henry Thomas
George Henry Thomas (July 31, 1816March 28, 1870) was an American general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and one of the principal commanders in the Western Theater.
Thomas served in the Mexican–American War and later ch ...
(1816–1870).
Climate
Based on the
Köppen climate classification, Mount Thomas is located in a
subarctic climate
The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...
zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.
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. Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports an unnamed glacier on the north slope.
See also
*
List of mountain peaks of Alaska
*
Geography of Alaska
*
Charles Mitchell Thomas
References
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