Siskiyou Summit
Siskiyou Summit | ||
---|---|---|
Elevation 4,310 ft (1,314 m) | | |
Traversed by | I-5 | |
Location | Jackson County, Oregon, United States | |
Range | Siskiyou Mountains | |
Coordinates | 42°3′38″N 122°36′21″W / 42.06056°N 122.60583°W |
Siskiyou Summit (also Siskiyou Mtn. Summit; also referred to as Siskiyou Pass) is a summit (high point) on Interstate 5 (I-5) in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is distinct from Siskiyou Pass, which is a nearby, historical mountain pass.[1][2] Siskiyou Summit is situated in the Siskiyou Mountains, approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) north of the California border.[3] At 4,310 feet (1,310 m), it is the highest point on Interstate 5.[4] When the highway was rebuilt on its current alignment, road cutting lowered the elevation of the summit by 49 feet (15 m).[5]
Geography
The Siskiyou Mountains form the watershed boundary between the
Climate
The road over Siskiyou Summit is typically closed to traffic for many days during winter due to severe weather conditions. At times, it can be closed during winter even when the weather is fine.[7] Regardless, weather data is important to those involved in transportation over the summit. Average monthly temperatures and rainfall are given in the table below. Snow generally falls during the months of November through April, typically peaking with four such days in December. The wind speed over the course of a year varies from an average of 13 km/h (8.1 mph) in May to episodes of 80 km/h (50 mph). The average number of rainy days per month varies from 11 in December to only two in June, August and September.[8]
Climate data for Siskiyou-Summit | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8 (46) |
11 (52) |
15 (59) |
17 (63) |
23 (73) |
29 (84) |
33 (91) |
33 (91) |
29 (84) |
22 (72) |
12 (54) |
8 (46) |
20 (68) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0 (32) |
−2 (28) |
0 (32) |
2 (36) |
5 (41) |
9 (48) |
13 (55) |
11 (52) |
7 (45) |
3 (37) |
−2 (28) |
−2 (28) |
3.67 (38.61) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 32 (1.3) |
31 (1.2) |
29 (1.1) |
33 (1.3) |
25 (1.0) |
4 (0.2) |
1 (0.0) |
18 (0.7) |
8 (0.3) |
14 (0.6) |
26 (1.0) |
69 (2.7) |
290 (11.4) |
Source: [8] |
History
The
Road
The summit "towering 4310 ft straight up and straight down with curves thrown in for variety", has enough space for parking two lanes of rigs on both flanks of the road. Since the gradient is about 6%, it is a preferred place for truckers to park, refuel, check the condition of their vehicles, and rest. The road down from the summit on the north side is steep and winding. During winter, reaching the summit can be a challenge due to snow and ice on the pavement.[10] In 2008, after the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad rail link between Medford, Oregon and Weed, California was closed, the highway saw greater use by truckers to carry timber and finished products. In order to reduce reliance on this hazardous mountain road and to reduce the expense of highway transport, proposals were made to reopen the rail link.[11] The rail line over the pass was reopened in 2015.[12]
See also
References
- ^ "ODOT advisory on Siskiyou Summit, also called Siskiyou Pass" (PDF). Oregon Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ a b LaLande, Jeffrey M. "Siskiyou Pass". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Portland State University. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Siskiyou Summit
- ^ "Interstate 5: Interesting Facts". Oregon Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
- ISBN 978-0-7385-4735-0.
- ISBN 978-1-934248-36-2.
- ^ "Lonely Planet review for Siskiyou Summit". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- ^ a b "Local Weather Siskiyou Summit Climate History". Weather2.com. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-4568-2711-3.)
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- ISBN 978-1-4490-2175-7.
- ^ "Siskiyou Summit Railroad Revitalization" (PDF). State of Oregon. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-02-05. Retrieved 18 Jan 2019.
- ^ Aleshire, Ilene (11 November 2015). "S. Oregon railroad line operating again after 7 year closure". The Register-Guard. Eugene, OR. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.