Rain: 5040 Peak is situated near Barkley Sound on Vancouver Island. The location by the west coast means pack your Goretex! It is also only 12km away from the wettest place in North America: Henderson Lake (or Hucuktlis Lake, meaning ‘place way inside’). On average this lake receives almost 7m of precipitation a year. In contrast, Victoria, BC receives 600mm of annual precipitation. It can be torrentially wet on 5040 Peak.
Snow: In winter all of this precipitation makes for huge snowfalls and a deep snow pack. The average peak snowpack for 1300m elevation is approximately 4m deep. The amount of snow that falls on 5040 peak makes for great skiing and a long season that often extends late into the spring.
Sun: The hut is also located near the hottest spot on Vancouver Island: Port Alberni. Temperatures at the hut can exceed 30 degrees in the summer. On those days Cobalt Lake feels great.
Wind: The hut is located on an exposed ridge above Cobalt Lake. Wind and storms typically come from the Southeast. From the hut, this direction means that approaching clouds can be hidden behind 5040 Peak’s South ridge. The hut location and weather patterns mean that clouds aren’t seen until they roll over the ridge. Be prepared for quick and significant weather changes.
Check the local weather forecast before coming to the hut. Some suggested sites are:
– Mountain Forecast for Klitsa Mountain (near 5040 Peak)
– SpotWx
– Sutton Pass webcam
Environment Canada:
– Port Alberni
– Ucluelet
Weather Network:
– Port Alberni
– Ucluelet
Live Conditions:
– Recent photo and weather data from Hišimy̓awiƛ