Thunder Mountain is a
summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used ...
in
La Plata County,
Colorado, United States.
Description
Thunder Mountain is situated in the
Needle Mountains
The Needle Mountains are a subrange of the San Juan Mountains of the Rocky Mountains located in the southwestern part of the U.S. State of Colorado. Much of the range is protected in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan National Forest. The ...
which are a subrange of the
San Juan Mountains. The mountain is located northeast of the community of
Durango
Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...
and set within the
Weminuche Wilderness on land managed by
San Juan National Forest. Precipitation runoff from the mountain's slopes drains into Vallecito Creek which is a tributary of the
Los Pinos River.
Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above the creek in . The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the
United States Board on Geographic Names
The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal governm ...
,
[ and has been recorded in publications since at least 1906.][Henry Gannett, United States Geological Survey (1906), ''A Gazetteer of Colorado'', US Government Printing Office, p. 168.]
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Thunder Mountain is located in an alpine 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 cool to warm summers.
See also
*
* List of mountain peaks of Colorado
* Thirteener
References
{{Mountains of Colorado
Mountains of Colorado
Mountains of La Plata County, Colorado
San Juan National Forest
San Juan Mountains (Colorado)
North American 3000 m summits