title: Marcus Peak
text: # Marcus Peak
  
  Marcus Peak is a 6,962 feet (2,122 m) summit located in Mount Rainier National Park in Pierce County of Washington state. It is part of the Sourdough Mountains, a subset of the Cascade Range and is situated north of Dege Peak. The peak was named in 1932 for Marcus Whitman (1802–1847), an early pioneer and physician. The Whitman Glacier on Little Tahoma also honors him. Access to Marcus Peak is limited due to snow closing the Sunrise Road much of the year. July, August, and September are typically the months when the Sunrise Road is seasonally open for vehicle traffic. The nearest higher peak is Palisades Peak, 0.64 miles (1.03 km) to the north-northeast. Precipitation runoff from Marcus Peak drains into the White River.
  
  ## Climate
  
  Marcus Peak is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range (Orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. During winter months, weather is usually cloudy, but, due to high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean that intensify during summer months, there is often little or no cloud cover during the summer. Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high avalanche danger.
  
  