The forest is home to more glaciers and snow fields than any other national forest outside Alaska.
As of 1971, the largest glaciers—with surface areas greater than 2.5 km² (0.97 sq mi)—are:
Mount Baker
Roosevelt
Mazama
Park
Boulder
Easton
Deming
Coleman
Sentinel Peak
South Cascade Glacier
Glacier Peak
Suiattle
Honeycomb
White Chuck
The number of glaciers in the forest has decreased from 295 in 1971 to fewer than 287 in 1998.
This is a part of the global phenomenon of glacier retreat.
Forest glaciers have lost between 20 and 40% of their volume between 1984 and 2006.
This is due to continued warm conditions and negative mass balance.
White Chuck Glacier (Glacier Peak) is no longer on the list of large glaciers, above.
It shrank from 3.1 to 0.9 km² (1.20 to 0.35 sq mi) from 1958 to 2002.
With the shrinking of the glaciers, summer glacial runoff has been reduced by 65 to 80%.
This reduces streamflow and sediment and increases water temperature.
Salmon and many other species are adversely affected by such changes.
The forest is home to more glaciers and snow fields than any other national forest outside Alaska. As of 1971, the largest glaciers—with surface areas greater than 2.5 km² (0.97 sq mi)—are:
Mount Baker
Roosevelt
Mazama
Park
Boulder
Easton
Deming
Coleman
Sentinel Peak
South Cascade Glacier
Glacier Peak
Suiattle
Honeycomb
White Chuck
The number of glaciers in the forest has decreased from 295 in 1971 to fewer than 287 in 1998. This is a part of the global phenomenon of glacier retreat. Forest glaciers have lost between 20 and 40% of their volume between 1984 and 2006. This is due to continued warm conditions and negative mass balance. White Chuck Glacier (Glacier Peak) is no longer on the list of large glaciers, above. It shrank from 3.1 to 0.9 km² (1.20 to 0.35 sq mi) from 1958 to 2002. With the shrinking of the glaciers, summer glacial runoff has been reduced by 65 to 80%. This reduces streamflow and sediment and increases water temperature. Salmon and many other species are adversely affected by such changes.
Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest