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Newhalem, Washington facts for kids

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Newhalem, Washington
Newhalem from nearby Trappers Peak, North Cascades National Park
Newhalem from nearby Trappers Peak, North Cascades National Park
Newhalem, Washington is located in Washington (state)
Newhalem, Washington
Newhalem, Washington
Location in Washington (state)
Newhalem, Washington is located in the United States
Newhalem, Washington
Newhalem, Washington
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Washington
County Whatcom
Elevation
515 ft (157 m)
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
Area code(s) 360
GNIS feature ID 1523641

Newhalem (Lushootseed: dxʷʔiyb) is a small unincorporated community in northwestern Washington, United States, located in the western foothills of the North Cascades along the Skagit River. It is located within Whatcom County.

Climate

Newhalem has plentiful rainfall year-round, but with significantly less rainfall in the summer months than in winter. According to the Köppen climate classification, Newhalem has an Oceanic climate (Cfb).

Climate data for Newhalem
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 63
(17)
71
(22)
78
(26)
91
(33)
101
(38)
109
(43)
109
(43)
108
(42)
99
(37)
83
(28)
74
(23)
61
(16)
109
(43)
Average high °F (°C) 39.3
(4.1)
43.9
(6.6)
49.4
(9.7)
57.0
(13.9)
64.7
(18.2)
70.0
(21.1)
76.8
(24.9)
76.9
(24.9)
70.2
(21.2)
57.2
(14.0)
45.5
(7.5)
39.6
(4.2)
57.5
(14.2)
Average low °F (°C) 31.2
(−0.4)
32.8
(0.4)
34.8
(1.6)
38.8
(3.8)
44.4
(6.9)
49.4
(9.7)
52.8
(11.6)
53.5
(11.9)
49.6
(9.8)
43.1
(6.2)
36.4
(2.4)
32.1
(0.1)
41.6
(5.3)
Record low °F (°C) 1
(−17)
2
(−17)
14
(−10)
23
(−5)
30
(−1)
35
(2)
39
(4)
40
(4)
32
(0)
20
(−7)
7
(−14)
−4
(−20)
−4
(−20)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 12.4
(310)
8.11
(206)
7.44
(189)
4.98
(126)
3.33
(85)
2.69
(68)
1.74
(44)
1.94
(49)
3.65
(93)
8.03
(204)
13
(330)
12.39
(315)
79.7
(2,020)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 15.5
(39)
6.9
(18)
2.2
(5.6)
0.1
(0.25)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
2.7
(6.9)
9.6
(24)
37.1
(94)
Average precipitation days 19 15 18 17 14 13 8 8 11 16 20 19 178

Newhalem in literature and film

The writer Tobias Wolff lived in Newhalem as a boy in the late 1950s, after his mother moved from west Seattle to marry a mechanic who lived in one of the company houses. In his memoir, This Boy's Life, he calls this isolated settlement "Chinook," and describes how the nearest high school was a long bus ride away, in a slightly larger hamlet called Concrete. In the 1993 film version of This Boy's Life, starring Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, the two places are combined and called "Concrete."

Portions of the 1983 Hollywood movie WarGames, starring Matthew Broderick, were filmed in Newhalem (most notably the scenes of the "Cheyenne Mountain Complex", filmed in an abandoned gravel pit northwest of the town).

Newhalem Summer Softball Tournament

Each third weekend of July since 1977 there has been a "mushball" softball tournament. The competitors are Skagit Valley teams. Players camp a mile from the fields. On the second morning is a pancake feed at the firehall. The single field presents challenges not normally found at softball tournaments, plus the 7am start on Saturday.

Highway 20

Newhalem is the final place on Highway 20 to purchase supplies before crossing Rainy Pass and entering Eastern Washington.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Newhalem (Washington) para niños

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