Most of Washington is part of the Pacific Mountain and Valleys Physiographic Region. The rest of the state is of the Intermontaine Basins and Plateus region. This means that the state is abundant in mountains, forests, and valleys.
Mount Rainier, the highest and third most voluminous volcano in the Cascade Range. It is made up of a combination of land and ice mass that was formed before the last major glaciation. It is considered dormant right now, but still poses a threat to residents who live nearby. It is one of the more popular stratovolcanoes, which means they are very dangerous. "Stratovolcanoes have a layered or stratified appearance with alternating lava flows, airfall tephra, pyroclastic flows, volcanic mudflows (lahars), and/or debris flows." They are also known for their almost perfect cone shape.
Another volcano in the state is Mount St. Helens also known as the "Fuji of America" because it resembled the beauty of he famous volcano in Japan.
It has lost some of its height due to its eruptions. "Mount St. Helens, like most other Cascade volcanoes, is a great cone of rubble consisting of lava rock interlayered with pyroclastic and other deposits." Its most known eruption was on May 18, 1980. "For more than nine hours a vigorous plume of ash erupted, eventually reaching 12 to 15 miles (20-25 kilometers) above sea level. The plume moved eastward at an average speed of 60 miles per hour (95 kilometers/hour), with ash reaching Idaho by noon. By early May 19, the devastating eruption was over. [It] was preceded by 2 months of intense activity that included more than 10,000 earthquakes, hundreds of small phreatic (steam-blast) explosions, and the outward growth of the volcano's entire north flank by more than 80 meters."
The state is not only abundant in mountains and volcanoes, but also with much precipitation.
"The average annual temperature ranges from 10.6° C (51° F) on the Pacific coast to 4.4° C (40° F) in the northeast. The recorded temperature in the state has ranged from -44.4° C (-48° F) in 1968 to 47.8° C (118° F) in 1961. A wet marine West Coast climate predominates in western Washington; it is mild for its latitude due to the presence of the warm North Pacific Current offshore and the relatively warm maritime air masses. The region has frequent cloud cover, considerable fog, and long-lasting drizzles; summer is the sunniest season."
The lowest temperature recorded in the state is -48° F on December 30, 1968. The highest temperature recorded is 118° F on August 5, 1961.
Sources:
"CVO Menu - Stratovolcanoes and Composite Volcanoes." USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO). Web. 10 Feb. 2011. <http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/StratoVolcano/framework.html>.
"How Volcanoes Work - Stratovolcanoes." SDSU - Department of Geological Sciences. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. <http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/stratovolc_page.html>.
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