Silver Bell Mountains
Silver Bell Mountains | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Peak | Silver Bell Peak |
Elevation | 4,261 ft (1,299 m) |
Coordinates | 32°24′30″N 111°29′32″W / 32.4084°N 111.4923°W |
Dimensions | |
Length | 6 mi (9.7 km) N-NW x SE |
Width | 5 mi (8.0 km) |
Geography | |
Country | United States |
State | Arizona |
Region | Ironwood Forest National Monument (northeast)-Sonoran Desert (Avra Valley) |
County | Pima County |
Settlement | Silver Bell, AZ |
Borders on | West Silver Bell Mountains-NW Waterman Mountains-S Aguirre Valley-W & SW Avra Valley-E & I-10-NE |
The Silver Bell Mountains are a northwest–southeast trending mountain range in north–central Pima County, Arizona.[1] The range lies 14 miles (23 km) west of Marana, Arizona, located on Interstate-10, northwest of Tucson.
The range is located to the east of the Ironwood Forest National Monument. Ragged Top, located in the north of the range, is a well-known landmark in this former mining region.
Description[edit]
The range is named after the Silver Bell Mine located at the southern end of the mountains. The range abuts the Waterman Mountains to the southeast, where palynology-(pollen) studies have shown some of the recent floristic history of Arizona during the Pliocene. Both ranges lie in the northeast Sonoran Desert; the Madrean Sky Island ranges begin just southeast of here, with the large, and most western sky island range, the Baboquivari Mountains-Quinlans 20–35 mi south.
The Silver Bell range can be accessed by Avra Valley Road and Silver Bell Road from the south of Marana.
Climate[edit]
Climate is characterized by extremely variable temperature conditions. The Köppen Climate Classification sub-type for this climate is "Bsh" (Mid-Latitude Steppe and Desert Climate).[2]
Climate data for Silver Bell Mountains | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 63 (17) | 66 (19) | 71 (22) | 79 (26) | 88 (31) | 98 (37) | 98 (37) | 96 (36) | 93 (34) | 84 (29) | 72 (22) | 62 (17) | 81 (27) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 43 (6) | 46 (8) | 49 (9) | 55 (13) | 63 (17) | 72 (22) | 74 (23) | 72 (22) | 70 (21) | 61 (16) | 51 (11) | 43 (6) | 58 (14) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.9 (23) | 0.9 (23) | 0.8 (20) | 0.2 (5.1) | 0.2 (5.1) | 0.3 (7.6) | 2.5 (64) | 2.5 (64) | 1.3 (33) | 1 (25) | 0.8 (20) | 1.3 (33) | 12.8 (330) |
Source: Weatherbase [3] |
See also[edit]
- Ironwood Forest National Monument
- List of mountain ranges of Pima County, Arizona
- List of mountain ranges of Arizona
References[edit]
- ^ Silver Bell East, AZ and Silver Bell West, AZ, 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangles, USGS, 1989
- ^ Climate Summary for Silver Bell
- ^ "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on July 30, 2013.
External links[edit]
Silver Bell Peak
Ragged Top Peak