Hydrology of Crater, East and Davis Lakes, Oregon by Kenneth N. Phillips

 EAST LAKE

CLIMATE

Newberry Volcano is surrounded by a lava plateau that has a general altitude of more than 4,000 feet and a mean annual precipitation of 10 to 20 inches. Most of that precipitation occurs as snow in the period from November to May. Temperatures are low, especially on clear winter nights in areas that have poor air drainage. Summer temperatures reach 1000F at times, but rapid radiation at night results in temperatures near freezing in every month of the year. Average annual evaporation loss from open water surfaces in the region is about 34 inches (Kohler and others, 1959, pl. 2).

East Lake lies about 2,000 feet above the general level of the plateau. There the microclimate is much more humid, the summers are somewhat cooler, and evaporation is presumably less.

No year-round records of temperature at East Lake are available. The altitude is very nearly the same as for Crater Lake, and the annual temperature cycle is no doubt very similar (table 1).

 

TABLE 1.-Monthly and annual temperature and precipitation at Crater Lake I

1 Average and extreme temperatures and precipitation are based on 27 years of complete records in the period 1924-61. Data furnished by U.S. Weather Bureau from station at park headquarters, 2 miles south of Crater Lake rim.

2 Also in other years.

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