Penguin Peak is a mountain summit located in the
Chugach Mountains
The Chugach Mountains of southern Alaska are the northernmost of the several mountain ranges that make up the Pacific Coast Ranges of the western edge of North America. The range is about long and wide, and extends from the Knik and Turnagain ...
, in
Anchorage Municipality
Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...
in the
U.S. state of
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
. The peak is situated in
Chugach State Park, southeast of downtown
Anchorage
Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...
, and east of the
Alyeska Resort and
Girdwood area. The peak is the dominant feature along the north shore of
Turnagain Arm when traveling the
Seward Highway
The Seward Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska that extends from Seward to Anchorage. It was completed in 1951 and runs through the scenic Kenai Peninsula, Chugach National Forest, Turnagain Arm, and Kenai Mountains. The Seward H ...
, and the summit offers a good view of
Mount Alpenglow
Mount Alpenglow is a landmark mountain located in the Kenai Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Chugach National Forest, southwest of Girdwood, Alaska, on the south shore of Turnagain Arm, opposite Bird Point from w ...
, directly across Turnagain Arm to the south.
Climate
Based on the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
, Penguin Peak 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 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. Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. Precipitation
runoff
Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to:
* RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program
* Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed
* Runoff or run-off, a stock market ...
from the mountain drains into Penguin Creek and Turnagain Arm.
See also
*
List of mountain peaks of Alaska
*
Geology of Alaska
The geology of Alaska includes Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks formed in offshore terranes and added to the western margin of North America from the Paleozoic through modern times. The region was submerged for much of the Paleozoic and M ...
References
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Gallery
File:Penguin Peak from Seward Highway.jpg, Penguin Peak seen from Seward Highway
File:Penguin Peak summit detail.jpg, Summit detail
File:Panorama looking south from Bird Ridge.jpg, Panorama from Bird Ridge with Penguin Peak centered
External links
Penguin Peak flyover video
Mountains of Alaska
Mountains of Anchorage, Alaska
North American 1000 m summits