- has a maritime climate [rainy or wet]
- it travels from the north west side to the southwest of north america
- parts of it have some of the wettest lands in the world
- since they are so close to the pacific ocean there winters are mostly above freezing
- summers are cooler than the mid of the continent
- valleys are warm
- the windy slopes are much wetter than the non-windy side
- the non-windy side is usually very dry