Snoqualmie Falls, plunging 268 feet into a rocky gorge, dominates this city of 14,000 positioned at the western edge of the Cascade Mountains. Elevation rises to roughly 440 feet, with the town sitting at the transition between Puget Sound lowlands and mountain terrain. Dense forest surrounds the community, typical of western Cascade ecology. Maritime climate brings heavy winter precipitation, often as snow at this elevation, averaging temperatures in the mid-30s, and cool summers reaching the low 70s. The Snoqualmie River flows from the mountains through the town, creating the dramatic falls that defined the area's development.
