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Pacific Coast Mountain Ranges
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The Pacific Coast Ranges are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along west coast of North America from Alaska to Mexico. The character of the ranges varies considerably, from the record-setting tidewater glaciers in the ranges of Alaska, to the low but rugged and scrub-covered hills of southern California, but the entire coast is consistent in dropping steeply into the sea, often resulting in photogenic views.
There are a handful of coastal plains at the mouths of rivers that have punched through the mountains, most notably at the Fraser River in British Columbia, the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon, and the Sacramento River in California, the last creating San Francisco Bay.
From the vicinity of San Francisco Bay north, it is common for humid air masses from the Gulf of Alaska to make landfall in one of the Coast Ranges, resulting in heavy precipitation, both as rain and snow, especially on their western slopes.
These are the members of the Pacific Coast Ranges, from north to south:
Chugach Mountains, southern Alaska
Wrangell Mountains, southern Alaska
Saint Elias Mountains, southern Alaska, southwestern Yukon Territory
Coast Mountains, southeastern Alaska, British Columbia
Vancouver Island Ranges, British Columbia
Olympic Mountains, Washington
Calipoiea Mountains, Oregon
Klamath Mountains, Oregon, northern California
Trinity Alps and Salmon Mountains, California
Mayacmas Mountains, California
Marin Hills, California
Diablo Range, California
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Santa Lucia Range, California
Temblor Range, California
Caliente Range, California
Transverse Ranges, California
Sierra Madre Mountains
San Rafael Mountains
Santa Ynez Mountains
Santa Susana Mountains
Topatopa Mountains
Simi Hills
Santa Monica Mountains
Tehachapi Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
San Bernardino Mountains
Peninsular Ranges
Santa Ana Mountains, California
San Jacinto Mountains, California
Palomar Mountain Range, California
Sierra Juarez, Baja California
Sierra San Pedro Martir, Baja California
Sierra de la Laguna, Baja California Sur
Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico
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