Climatic conditions in the Olympic Mountains are, in general, similar to those of the higher Cascade Mountains. There is a limited area of Arctic-alpine Life-zone on Mount Olympus. The principal life-zone is the Hudsonian. The Canadian merges with the lowland Humid-Transition and is difficult to ascertain as a separate zone. In the Hudsonian Life-zone the average temperatures are low. Winter climate is bitter and the snow lies deep. In the absence of government weather stations in the Olympics, detailed descriptions of climatic conditions can not be given. Vegetation of the Hudsonian Life-zone of the Olympic Mountains is, in general, similar to that of the same life-zone of the Cascades (see Jones, 1936, Botanical Survey of the Olympic Peninsula). The lowlands of western Washington have a cool, humid climate. The average annual temperature of the area varies little from 50°. In winter the temperature, especially in January and February, commonly drops below the freezing point at night. Summer temperatures are moderate, rarely reaching 90°. Snowfall is light, averaging about 10 inches. The prevailing winds are from the west and are moisture-laden. They rise over the Olympic Mountains and loose heavy rains along the coastal area of the lowlands. The average annual precipitation at La Push, Clallam County, is 97.9 inches; at Clearwater, Jefferson County, 124.98 inches; at Aberdeen, Grays Harbor County, 81.58 inches; at South Bend, Pacific County, 83.35 inches. In contrast, the more inland areas receive less than half as much precipitation. The yearly average at Bellingham is 31.09 inches; at Seattle, 30.07 inches; at Tacoma, 39.53 inches; at Vancouver, Clark County, 37.24 inches.